Satish Shah is facing the brunt of the Internet. The actor posted a photo with an Indian flag claiming it is from 1942. But netizens want him to fact-check. In fact, they are ready to give some Indian history lessons. It all began when the actor, known for character like Indravadhan Sarabhai posted a photo on Twitter saying, "The very same TIRANGA DHWAJ my mother had got during Quit India Movement 1942."
The photo has him holding the tri-coloured flag with the Ashok Chakra in the center. However, back in 1942, the Indian flag had Charkha in the center. It was after India's independence in 1947 when the Charkha was replaced by Ashok Chakra. "But this flag was adopted in 1947. The flag used in 1942 had a charkha!" a user wrote. Another one countered the same writing, "It was adopted on 1947. But it was already designed by Pingali Venkayya in 1921 and used upto some extent."
"Sirji we adapted Ashoka chakra on our flag in 1947 as per my knowledge, how did u/mom get one in 1942?" asked another. Another one had a different opinion. The user shared, "National Anthem Jana gana was adopted in 1950, so it did not exist before that?"
There were also some who felt like Shah should apologise to everyone. "Peddling lies is so easy these days, and celebrities are eager to do so, just to win patriotism brownie points. So sad that after thousands have commented underneath that this flag didn't exist in 1942, he has not corrected himself or offered an apology/explanation," the tweet reads.
For the unversed, Pingali Venkayya was the designer of the Indian national flag. Born near Machilipatnam on August 2, 1876, he was a farmer, a geologist, a lecturer at the Andhra National College in Machilipatnam, and fluent in Japanese -- so fluent that he first attracted attention when he was able to deliver a full-length lecture in that language at a school in Bapatla, a town in Andhra Pradesh, in 1913. He became instantly famous as 'Japan Venkayya'.
Pingali had designed many models of the national flag. In 1921, Mahatma Gandhi approved a design during the Indian National Congress meeting in Vijayawada.
