‘Narrow-minded political experiments’: Congress targets RSS over saffron hockey jersey, backs ‘Men in Blue’ identity | Hockey News

The Congress on Saturday criticised the decision to change the Indian hockey team’s jersey colour from its traditional blue to saffron, saying sports and players should not be used for political purposes and asking the government to reconsider the move.The Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams, who have traditionally played in blue jerseys, will wear saffron kits during the Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium, which begins on August 15. Hockey India announced the change on July 27.In a post on X, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the issue goes beyond sport and is linked to the emotions of millions of Indians.“The decision to change the colour of the Indian hockey team’s jersey is not merely a sports-related choice, but a matter deeply connected to the sentiments of millions of Indians and our sporting traditions.”“Indian players have long been recognized around the world by names like ‘Men in Blue’, ‘The Blues’, and ‘The Blue Tigers’. This identity is not just about the colour of the jersey, but a legacy of Indian sports. Today, it is difficult to understand why the need was felt to alter this historic identity. The question is not about any particular colour, but about the process of decision-making, transparency, and respect for public sentiments,” Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.He alleged that the government had changed colours in several public spaces without wider consultation.“This government has changed the colour – sometimes on road pavements, sometimes in the attire of Parliament employees, sometimes on the Doordarshan logo, and now in players’ jerseys – without broad public consensus.National symbols, sports, and players should not be made a medium for narrow-minded political experiments. The government and relevant institutions should immediately reconsider this decision and clarify how such an important decision was taken without the knowledge and consent of Hockey India’s Executive Board,” Kharge also said.He added that all three colours of the national flag are equally important.“Saffron, white, and green are all three colours in our tricolor, and they also hold an honourable place in the flag of the Indian National Congress. It is unfortunate that those whose ideological tradition made no contribution to the freedom movement are now seen in a haste to leave their ideological imprint on every national symbol and every public institution. History knows that the RSS had staunchly opposed the tricolor, and Sardar Patel had even warned them,” the Congress chief said.While unveiling the new jersey on its social media pages, Hockey India had said the design and colour were chosen to “tell a story” and reflect “India’s pride” after consultations with players and support staff. The federation said saffron symbolises courage, sacrifice and victory.