A view of a gaushala near Pragati Maidan where hundreds of saffron flags were hoisted by ‘unknown individuals’ on the night of the one-year anniversary of the Ram Temple consecration.
| Photo Credit: Ashna Butani

A fresh wave of saffron is sweeping through Delhi, with hundreds of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ flags popping up across localities overnight as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) intensifies its campaign for the upcoming Assembly election.

The BJP had launched its campaign song, ‘Jo Ram ko lekar aye, unka raj hoga Dilli mein (Those who brought Ram, will rule Delhi)’, on Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of the Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya.

This saffron surge is particularly evident in Anna Nagar, a slum cluster in ITO under the Jangpura Assembly constituency, where residents woke up to find hundreds of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ flags in the area. Almost every house, shop, and autorickshaw now sports a newly installed flag, according to residents.

Raja Ram, a 50-year-old vegetable vendor, discovered a ‘Jai Shri Ram’ flag hoisted over his shop on Wednesday morning. He claimed it was installed by unknown individuals at midnight and expressed uncertainty about whether the flags would remain. “Some might remove them, while others will let them remain,” he said.

Similar flags had appeared in the area last year too, with some installed by residents and others by outsiders. Eventually, they disappeared or were damaged due to strong winds and rain, according to residents.

Pressing problems

Highlighting the area’s persistent problems, Mr. Ram said the annual monsoon causes flooding and even led to houses collapsing in 2020. “The biggest issue here is that the drains are broken and start overflowing in the monsoon. Children can’t walk to school and our work is affected,” he said.

The BJP had used its campaign slogan, “Jo Ram ko laye hain, hum unko layenge”, widely during the Lok Sabha election. Its impact is still evident, with voters like Dhruv, a 26-year-old driver, confirming that the Ram Temple consecration will influence his vote.

“Some of us put flags up at night because of the one-year celebrations. The temple inauguration was important to us all and will play a key role in the upcoming election,” he said, walking through a road lined with flags on both sides. He added that he has put up flags at his home too.

A 33-year-old resident said BJP workers installed flags in her neighbourhood on Tuesday night while singing the party’s campaign song. “It is a symbol of support for the BJP to prevent workers from other parties from entering the area. Hindus and Muslims live in harmony here and there were attempts to divide us on religious lines,” she said.

Her top concern, however, is the unreliable water supply. “There are two water pipelines and one has irregular supply. Many lanes still lack access to water. Floods impact us severely too.”

‘Emotive issue’

Local BJP leader Sunny Sarwan attributed the appearance of flags in the area to residents’ sentimental attachment or ‘bhavna’. A group of elderly residents said young men lit lamps in the neighbourhood on Tuesday night in a display of support.

Outside a gaushala near Pragati Maidan, the street has been transformed into a sea of saffron, with hundreds of strings of smaller flags adorning the area. The banners were put up by the gaushala authorities on Tuesday night, according to Bhupinder Kumar, a 42-year-old vendor who runs a shop on the footpath.

However, for Mr. Kumar, the temple consecration isn’t a top priority and he has more pressing concerns. He points out that authorities removed his house while sprucing up the area for the G20 summit last year. “For some people, God has been benevolent, but for those of us who aren’t as fortunate, issues like livelihood and employment will take centre stage,” he said.