Jammu: Asserting that the supremacy of the tri-colour will remain high, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh today said that no flag can be hoisted at equal level to the national flag and the matter will be dealt legally.
“All I can say is that no flag can be levelled equal to the national flag. It is a decision of the High Court. It is legal matter. It shall be dealt legally,” Singh told reporters while replying to a question on the flag issue here tonight.
“National flag would be respected and that is our endeavour,” he said, adding “I have not talked in this regard with anybody and BJP has a stand. We should act accordingly.”
An order of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had this week directed the state government to hoist the state flag, along with the national flag, on all official buildings and vehicles of constitutional authorities.
Meanwhile, JKNPP today held a massive demonstration against the BJP for compromising on all its pre-poll pledges and for “submitting unilaterally” to the dictates of its coalition partner only for “remaining glued” to power over the issue of flag.
The protesters led by Chairman JKNPP and former Minister Harsh Dev Singh, and State President Young Panthers Yash Paul Kundal, assembled at the exhibition ground and claimed that the BJP took a U-turn on its professed promises including the flag issue, Article 370, etc.
The protesters raised slogans against the ministers of Jammu and torched an effigy slamming BJP for its “gross betrayal” and “treachery”.
Pointing towards the recent decision of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court mandating the hoisting of state flag on the government offices particularly those housing the constitutional authorities as well as two flags on the vehicles of all such constitutional authorities, Harsh Dev Singh said that the Court had given its ruling on the basis of materials provided by the state government.
He pointed out that the coalition government had filed an affidavit before the J&K High Court categorically stating that non hoisting of state flag along with national flag would amount to an offence and hence attract criminal action against the offenders.
He said that while the coalition government’s affidavit in court was always deemed to be a joint statement of both the BJP and PDP, the saffron party owed an explanation to its electorates for dumping its kernel philosophy which had earned it 25 seats in the state.
He said that as the J&K High Court had only given its judgement on the basis of arguments put forth by the parties, the BJP needed to explain to the people as to what prompted it to subscribe to the PDP, NC and separatists’ slogan of ‘Do Nishan and Do Vidhan’ in the state.