Notice for violating national flag code

AGARTALA, NOV 22: Agartala bench of Guwahati High Court has issued show cause notices to the Centre and Tripura Government, asking why five ...

AGARTALA, NOV 22: Agartala bench of Guwahati High Court has issued show cause notices to the Centre and Tripura Government, asking why five ministers of the State were not sacked and prosecuted for violating the flag code.

The division bench of the court, in its order on a writ petition yesterday, also asked why the ministers should not be punished under the provision of Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.

The petitioner Ratan Lal Nath, MLA CONG and social worker, had filed the writ yesterday urging the court to sack and prosecute five Tripura ministers for violating the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 and the Flag Code of India, by not keeping the flag on the middle of the front side of their official vehicles. He also submitted to the court photos of the vehicles along with the concerned ministers, showing that the flag had been kept on the left side.

The five ministers are Tripura Education Minister Anil Sarkar, Tribal Welfare Minister Aghore Debbarma, IndustriesMinister Pabitra Kar, Panchayat Minister Subodh Das and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Gopal Das.

The division bench comprising Justice P C Phukan and Justice P G Agarwalla allowed four weeks time to the Centre and State Government to file their returnable notices.

The petitioner said that the five ministers had also violated the circular issued by Tripura Government on January 31, in which it had asked all its ministers not to use the national flag on the left side of their official vehicles.

He quoted the State Government circular as having said 8220;flag shall be flown from a staff which should be affixed to the car in the middle front of the bonnet8221;.

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Using the flag on the left side of the car despite the circular, constituted total 8220;disregard and disrespect8221; to the national flag, and the ministers exposed their 8220;lack of faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India and failed to uphold the integrity of India and were liable to prosecution under Section two of Central Act 69 of 1971,8221; thepetitioner said. The punishment entailed imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or fine, or both.