As India counts down to its 79th Independence Day on 15 August 2026, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has called on every household in the state to hoist the national tricolour — and back it with a selfie. The appeal, posted on Sunday, 9 August 2026, frames the flag not as a formality but as a living declaration of loyalty to the nation and gratitude to those who died for it.

Writing in Marathi, Fadnavis invoked the spirit of Har Ghar Tiranga — 'a tricolour on every home' — urging citizens to fly the national flag from today through 17 August 2026 and to upload a selfie with the flag at harghartiranga.com. 'The tricolour flying proudly on every home is a symbol of our loyalty, pride, and commitment to the nation,' he wrote, adding a direct salute to 'the brave who sacrificed their lives for freedom.'

A campaign born in the Amrit Mahotsav and now a national habit

The Har Ghar Tiranga campaign was first launched by the Government of India in 2022 as the centrepiece of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the nationwide celebration marking 75 years of independence. What began as a one-time symbolic push has since become an annual pre-Independence Day ritual — state governments across the country align with the central drive, amplifying it through their own social channels and administrative machinery.

Maharashtra, one of India's most populous and politically consequential states, is a key participant. Fadnavis's post combines the emotional register of patriotic tribute with a practical digital call-to-action, channelling citizen energy toward the dedicated portal where selfie uploads create a visible, shareable map of national participation.

Flag, selfie, and the politics of visible patriotism

The selfie-upload mechanic is deliberate. It transforms a private act — hoisting a flag at home — into a public, aggregated expression of national identity. State governments routinely report participation metrics around 15 August, and those numbers carry political weight: they become proof points of civic engagement under a sitting administration.

For Fadnavis, the timing is also personal branding. As a senior BJP leader and the face of Maharashtra's government, associating himself visibly with a flagship central campaign reinforces alignment between state and national leadership heading into the Independence Day weekend.

The tricolour will fly. The selfies will be counted. And on the morning of 15 August, Maharashtra's streets will tell their own story of how many answered the call.