New Delhi: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) updated the profile images of its social media accounts from the customary saffron flag to the national tricolour on Friday, ahead of Independence Day.

“Celebrate the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence. Hoist the tricolour at every house. Raise national self-respect,” Sangh said in a Twitter post even as the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign under the aegis of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ to encourage people to bring the Tiranga home and to hoist it to mark the 75th year of India’s independence kicked off today.

Sangh has already extended its support to the Centre’s ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ and the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ programmes.

The Congress party had launched an attack on RSS for not “hoisting the national flag” at its headquarters.

The ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign initiated as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav,’ to commemorate India’s 75th anniversary of Independence will run till August 15.

The Central government has urged people to hoist or display the tricolour in their homes from August 13 to 15 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence.

A citizen, a private organization or an educational institution may hoist or display the National Flag on all days and occasions. There is no restriction on the timing of flag display.
The government has amended the Flag Code of India to allow the tricolour to be displayed in the open and on individual houses or buildings day and night.

The Flag Code of India was earlier amended in December last year allowing the use of polyester, apart from cotton, wool, silk and khadi for making hand-spun, hand-woven and machine-made flags.

‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of India’s people, culture and achievements.

The programme envisages inspiring Indians everywhere to hoist the national flag at their homes. The aim of the programme is to make the relationship with the national flag a more personal one rather than just keeping it formal or institutional.

The idea behind the initiative is to invoke the feeling of patriotism in the hearts of the people and promote awareness about the tricolour.

Earlier, Indian citizens were not allowed to hoist the National Flag except on selected occasions.

This changed after a decade-long legal battle by industrialist Naveen Jindal culminated in the landmark Supreme Court judgement of January 23, 2004, that declared that the right to fly the National Flag freely with respect and dignity is a fundamental right of an Indian citizen within the meaning of Article 19(1) (a) of the Constitution of India.