Tricolour Displayed Upside Down in BJP Rally in Kathua, FIR Registered

The case was registered on the complaint of a local resident Vinod Nijhawan.

New Delhi: An FIR was filed against unknown persons  for insulting the tricolour after the national flag was displayed upside down during a rally led by senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Rajiv Jasrotia  in Kathua district of Jammu.

The case was registered on the complaint of a local resident Vinod Nijhawan. The complainant alleged that  the national flag was disrespected during the rally led by Jasrotia, who is a former minister, and BJP candidate Rahul Dev Sharma.

“The act was ‘very heinous’ and hurt the “sentiments of the patriotic citizens of India,” said Nijhawan in a statement. Following his complaint, police lodged case under Section 2 (insulting the national flag or the Constitution) of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act.

“The complainant presented a video clip purportedly showing a person, just behind the BJP legislator, holding the tricolor upside down during the procession which covered a distance of over two km,” an official said, adding,”Further investigation in the matter is underway.”.

Jasrotia, who is the BJP MLA from Kathua constituency, had accompanied Sharma in a procession from his Shiv Nagar residence to file nomination papers for ward number 19 Thursday for the Urban Local Body polls.

(With inputs from agencies)