COURSTEY Sep 13 2017 : The Times of India (Ahmedabad)
OBC forum posts video of BJP flag placed above tricolour
Ashish Chauhan
Ahmedabad:


Says It's Insult To National Flag, Will Move To Register FIR
A video showing a saffron flag with the lotus symbol of the ruling BJP placed above the national flags of India and Japan on a lamp-post near Koba circle in Gandhinagar was made viral by a leader of Alpesh Thakor-led outfit `OBC, SC, ST Ekta Manch' on Tuesday.
Mukesh Bharwad, coconvener of the outfit, posted the video on various social media platforms on Tuesday. Bharwad said that their outfit will give a memorandum to the city police chief to register an FIR in connection with disrespect to the national flag.

“This has happened ex actly in front of BJP headquarters, `Kamalam', at Koba circle in Gandhinagar.The national flag can be seen below the party flag of BJP. We will approach police over insult to the national flag,“ Bharwad said.

Bharwad stressed that he did not blame any party or its leaders, but whosoever is found guilty must be booked.

Alpesh Thakor, convener of the outfit, said that the party and its people, who are preaching nationalism and patriotism should first learn how to respect national symbols.

“The nation is bigger than a party or its leader.They should come out of `party-bhakti' and only stick to `rashtra-bhakti' or nationalism. They try to preach about what is right or wrong for the nation, but at least, they should know how to respect national symbols,“ said Thakor.“They should give respect to our nation and its symbols. And as the tricolour is the biggest symbol of nationalism, we cannot tolerate its insult,“ Thakor said.

When contacted, Pradipsinh Jadeja, minister of state, home, regarding the issue of insult to the national flag, he said, “I have not seen any video so I cannot give my view over the issue until I see the video.