Madhya Pradesh: Three held for waving ‘Pakistan-like’ flag on Republic-Day

Six persons from Shujalpur town were booked under Section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, after right-wing activists stopped the rally, snatched two flags and called the police.

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Six persons from Shujalpur town were booked under Section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, after right-wing activists stopped the rally, snatched two flags and called the police. (Picture for representational purpose)

Madhya Pradesh police Saturday arrested three persons in Shajapur district for carrying a flag “similar to that of Pakistan’s” during a vehicle rally on Republic Day. Six persons from Shujalpur town were booked under Section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, after right-wing activists stopped the rally, snatched two flags and called the police.

The rally was taken out by the minority community. Though most participants carried the Tricolour, one youth riding pillion waved a big flag that was dark in colour, had a white strip, a crescent and stars.

“They were raising slogans in Urdu that we did not understand. Two flags were objectionable with one similar to the Pakistani flag. We wanted all participants to be booked under the National Security Act but the police booked only six…,’’ Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha district president Sunil Dethal told The Sunday Express.

Dethal claimed the minority community had never taken out any rally in this way before. He said there were nearly a dozen videos of the rally that would facilitate the police to identify the accused. He alleged when the right-wing activists raised objections the minority community youths fought back. “Had we been in more numbers we would have nabbed them,” Dethal said.

The in-charge of Shujalpur police station, Dinesh Prajapati, said three persons — Shadab alias Goti, Sameer Khan and Adil Nasir — were arrested. They were produced in a local court that remanded the trio in two days’ police custody.

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