Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has launched a sharp attack on the Indian government’s decision to replace the national hockey team’s traditional blue jerseys with saffron kits ahead of the upcoming Hockey World Cup. The controversy centres on whether a sporting symbol should be repurposed for political messaging.
Political Row Over Hockey Jersey
Hockey India unveiled the new saffron kits on July 27, stating that the colour was chosen to embody "India's pride" and to tell a story after extensive consultations with players and support staff. Both the men's and women's squads will wear the kits when they compete in the Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15.
In a statement that quickly gathered media attention, Kharge argued that altering a symbol as sacrosanct as the team’s jersey is not merely a sporting matter but one that touches the sentiments of millions of Indians who have long associated the blue jersey with a storied legacy.
He pointed out that the government has previously changed colours in public spaces without a broad consensus, citing examples such as road pavements, the attire of Parliament staff and the Doordarshan logo, and warned that such moves risk turning national symbols into political experiments.
Emphasising the three colours of the national flag — saffron, white and green — Kharge asserted that each holds equal importance and should not be repurposed for ideological displays, especially when the ruling establishment has been accused of imprinting its own narrative on public institutions.
The Congress leader further criticised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for its historical opposition to the tricolour and accused the current administration of using sports symbolism to advance a hidden agenda, while urging the government to revisit the decision and clarify the process that led to it without the Hockey India Executive Board’s input.