New York: A controversy erupted on Thursday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi autographed a cloth painting, with critics on social media saying it meant a disrespect to the national tricolor, but the government strongly denied it.
The piece of cloth was an artistic work of handicraft prepared by a differently-abled girl and was signed by Mr Modi when she met him along with celebrity chef Vikas Khanna, who had prepared the menu for the Prime Minister’s dinner with Fortune 500 CEOs last night.
Piece of cloth had no wheel, claims PIB
As celebrity chef Vikas Khanna displayed the piece of cloth signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the media, social media was abuzz with criticism and Opposition Congress latched on to it.
Government spokesman Frank Noronha denied that the Prime Minister had signed on the national flag and said it had not been confiscated as reported.
Noronha, director general (media and communication), Press Information Bureau, said that the piece of cloth was a work of handicraft by a differently-abled girl and Mr Modi had autographed it on compassionate basis.
“The piece of cloth does not have white colour nor the wheel....It has been prepared by the girl with her toe and the Prime Minister was compassionate,” he said. He termed as “absolutely false” that it had been confiscated.
