In Wayanad, flag politics—swept the country during the 2019 Lok Sabha election—have reappeared. Both the left and the right are attacking the Congress for not having Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) flags flown at Rahul Gandhi’s Wayanad rally on Wednesday. In Kerala, the UDF led by the Congress counts the IUML as one of its main allies.

After the huge controversy in 2019, it’s possible that Congress and IUML members received instructions not to bring their flags to the rally. To avoid controversy, Congress had to have chosen a safer option this time. Flag or not, it was criticised. During the Wednesday roadshow in the hill district, a few Indian national flags, the Tricolour, tri-coloured balloons, and portraits of Rahul Gandhi were visible.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticised the Congress on Thursday for lacking Muslim League flags at Rahul Gandhi’s Wayanad rally, saying the party “lacked the courage” to fly its flag in public. At a press conference, Vijayan asserted, “The Congress has descended to a level where it is afraid of communal forces.”

Congress is ashamed, according to BJP’s Smriti Irani

The Muslim League, a Congress ally, does not fly its flag in Kerala, as BJP leader Smriti Irani also noted. “That Muslim League flags were hidden in the Congress party nomination rally yesterday indicates that either Rahul Gandhi is ashamed of getting support from the Muslim League or when he visits North India and visits temples, he will not be able to hide his association with the Muslim League,” Smriti Irani said in Wayanad.

Union Minister Irani expressed shock at Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party accepting the support of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the outlawed Popular Front of India (PFI). Irani had travelled to Wayanad to seek the nomination of BJP candidate K Surendran. “By accepting their support, he (Gandhi) has also violated the oath to the Constitution taken during the filming of the nomination,” Smriti Irani claimed.

2019’s Wayanad Flag Row

The presentation of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) flags as Pakistani flags in 2019 caused a significant uproar. Several social media users claimed to have Pakistani flags with them when they posted images and videos of people applauding Rahul Gandhi.