NAGAON: An FIR has been filed against Assam BJP president Bhabesh Kalita for unfurling the tricolour upside down on Independence Day.
The FIR against the Assam BJP chief was filed at the Nagaon Sadar police station on Tuesday (August 15).
The complaint, filed by three residents of Nagaon district of Assam, accused the state BJP president of engaging in ‘treasonous’ activity.
The FIR accused Assam BJP president Bhabesh Kalita of going ahead with unfurling the tricolour upside down despite being aware of the mistake.
It alleged that the action of the Assam BJP president was part of a “deliberate conspiracy”.
It may be mentioned here that Assam BJP president Bhabesh Kalita triggered a controversy on Tuesday (August 15) after he hoisted the national flag upside down at the party’s state headquarters in Guwahati on the occasion of Independence Day.
Kalita hoisted the flag with the green strip on top, instead of the saffron strip.
The mistake was not noticed by Kalita or the other party leaders present at the event.
However, it was pointed out by some party workers after Kalita had finished his speech.
The flag was then brought down and hoisted again by Kalita in the correct manner.
However, the incident has sparked a controversy, with many people criticizing Kalita for his carelessness.
“It is a serious offense to hoist the national flag upside down. Kalita should be held accountable for his actions,” said one social media user.
Meanwhile, the Assam BJP chief apologized for the mistake, saying that he did not realize that the flag was upside down.
The Flag Code of India, 2022, prohibits the hoisting of the national flag upside down.
The code also states that anyone who violates the code can be punished with imprisonment for up to three years, or a fine, or both.