In Indian cricket team’s new orange jersey, anti-BJP parties see red

The colour of Indian cricket team’s new jersey, which they will reportedly sport during their World Cup 2019 encounter with hosts England has triggered a row back home. Team India’s is likely to wear orange or saffron jersey instead of blue during the England game on June 30. Anti-BJP parties, however, saw red in the team India’s new jersey colour and said that the ruling government was behind the decision and that it was part of the ongoing saffronisation in the country. The colour orange or saffron is associated with the BJP.

“Modi ji wants to saffronise the entire country. A Muslim was the one who designed the Indian Tricolour. There are other colours in the Tricolour, why choose only orange? It will be better if their jersey is based on the Tricolour,” Abu Asim Azmi, a Samajwadi Party MLA, said.

Former Maharashtra minister and Congress MLA Naseem Khan also echoed Azmi’s sentiments and said that the Narendra Modi government was indulging in saffron politics.

“Ever since the Modi government has come to power, it has been playing saffron politics. The Tricolour should be respected, and national harmony should be promoted. This government wants to saffronise everything,” the Congress leader said.

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However, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale defended the new colour, saying that it is associated with courage and victory and nobody should have a problem with that. "It is the colour of courage and victory. No one should have a problem with that," Ramdas Athawale said.

While a shade of blue has always been India's jersey colour, this would be only the second occasion when the Indian cricket team will be seen sporting another colour. In 1994, a yellow jersey was used during a series against New Zealand.

According to ICC rules, all participating teams are required to provide two different coloured kits for televised ICC events. However, the host country enjoys the preference in the choice of colour and is allowed to provide only one coloured kit to be worn during all their matches.