Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra transformed the recently concluded Rajya Sabha parliamentary session into a symbolic political protest through her strategic use of tote bags with expressive messages.
During the Rajya Sabha Constitution debate session, the newly elected Congress MP from Wayanad on December 16 entered the upper house carrying a tote bag emblazoned with the word “Palestine” in vibrant colours. The tote bag featured not only the word Palestine but also symbols associated with it on social media.
Vadra’s choice of the tote bag was heavily criticised by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) including Manoj Tiwari who blamed her for engaging in “vote-bank appeasement” and suggested her gesture was a deliberate attempt to polarize voters.
The following day, Vadra took her protest to the next level by carrying a bag condemning atrocities against minorities in the neighbouring country Bangladesh. The bag featured words in Bengali, stating “Stand with Bangladeshi Hindus and Christians”.
She was soon followed by several Opposition members of parliament carrying identical bags and placards to bring out issues concerning minorities.
These tote bag protests were one of the Opposition’s initiatives during the Winter Session, which included wearing jackets and t-shirts with political statements such as, “Modi-Adani ek hain”, to highlight various national issues and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strategic relationship with billionaire businessman Gautam Adani.
The chairperson of Adani Group is currently under scrutiny from US prosecutors who indicted him and seven other executives for alleged involvement in bribery and securities fraud schemes.
When questioned bout the backlash and remarks made by Tiwari, Priyanka Gandhi dismissed the criticism calling it “typical patriarchy” and said her right to wear what she wants. Additionally, she urged the government of India to engage with Bangladesh diplomatically regarding minority rights and protection.
1984 tote bag
However, the BJP’s response further escalated when MP Aparajita Sarangi on Friday gifted Priyanka Gandhi a tote bag with “1984” inscribed in blood red.
The bag was sent to Priyanka Gandhi to draw attention to the controversial Operation Blue Star, a military action during Indira Gandhi’s tenure that led to several causalities of the Sikh community in Punjab ranging between 400 and over a thousand, according to the Sikh groups.
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