Mamlatdar dishonoured national flag, charges Congress

Ahmedabad, Aug 16 (UNI) A mamlatdar of Visnagar has allegedly dishonoured the national flag on the 60th independence day yesterday, charged Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) spokesperson Shaktisinh Gohil.

Addressing media persons here today, Mr Gohil said many important people of Visnagar had been invited for the I-Day programme, sheduled to be held at 0900 hrs, by the mamlatdar and executive magistrate D H Trivedi. He had even sent an invitation to former minister Kiritbhai Ishvarbhai Patel and former president of Visnagar taluka chaudhary Haresh Kumar Navjibhai.

He said though the ceremony was slated at 0900 hrs, the mamlatdar failed to turn up until 1145 hrs. So, the people finally decided to unfurl the flag. After the flag was unfurled, he arrived at around 1200 hrs and then angrily brought the flag down and again unfurled it.

''The mamlatdar has insulted the national flag by not only failing to unfurl it at the scheduled time but by bringing it down and again unfurling it. This is not permitted, as once the flag is unfurled it cannot be brought down before the sunset. Even after the sunset the flag has to be saluted before it is brought down,'' Mr Gohil said.

The mamlatdar then lodged a complaint against seven persons with the police and a case has been registered under sections 143, 186 and 188 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Terming the mamlatdar complaint as untenable, the GPCC spokesperson said no case can be made by him under Section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour, 1971, as it was he who is guilty.

Both Mr Patel and Mr Navjibhai also lodged a counter complaint with the police against the mamlatdar for bringing dishonour to the national flag, he added.

Mr Trivedi told UNI that he had informed all the invitees about the change in timings, as assistant collector R K Beniwal, who was the chief guest at the function and who was to unfurl the flag, had to leave for Mehsana for the Chief Minister's function. ''I had informed that the function would be held at 1130 hrs instead of the scheduled timing of 0900 hrs and everyone was aware of it. Then, where was the need to unfurl it?'' he asked.

UNI