The complainant accused Bhabesh Kalita of a conspiracy to denigrate the national flag by its improper unfurling during 77th Independence Day celebrations.
An FIR has been filed against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Assam unit President Bhabesh Kalita at the Nagaon Sadar police station for allegedly hoisting the national flag upside down on the Independence Day on Tuesday.
The FIR was lodged by three villagers who accused Bhabesh Kalita of a conspiracy to denigrate the tricolour by its improper unfurling during 77th Independence Day celebrations. The complainants claimed that the accused proceeded to unfurl the flag despite being fully aware of the fact that it was upside down.
Kalita, however, denied that it was a deliberate act. While admitting that the flag was unfurled upside down, he said the error was rectified as soon as it was brought to his attention.
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Recounting how the slip-up happened, he told media persons, “It was done without my knowledge. The workers responsible for hoisting the flag were unaware that it was set upside down. So the mistake happened.”
In accordance with the established guidelines for hoisting the national flag, it is mandatory to ensure that the saffron portion is positioned at the top.
In the meantime, the incident escalated into a major controversy with citizens using social media platforms to criticise the BJP leader for the goof-up.
The Flag Code of India, 2022, explicitly forbids hoisting of the national flag in an inverted manner. This code further stipulates that individuals who contravene the code may face imprisonment for up to three years, a fine, or both.
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