A controversy erupted ahead of Pakistan vs Afghanistan World Cup match on Monday at the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai’s Chepauk after a police official on duty prevented a few cricket fans from carrying the Indian flag inside the stadium.
According to PTI, a Tamil Nadu police sub-inspector forbade some cricket fans to bring Indian tricolour inside the stadium during the match. The video of the incident also went viral on social media.
In the video, it can be seen that a Tamil Nadu police official snatches away two Indian flags from some cricket fans waiting at the entrance and then throws the tricolour in the trash bin.
The officer then takes the flag out of the bin after people object to the act and puts it in a police van.
#JUSTIN இந்திய தேசியக் கொடியை குப்பை தொட்டியில் போட முயன்ற காவல் உதவி ஆய்வாளர்; விசாரணை நடத்தி துறை ரீதியான நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என காவல்துறை விளக்கம் #ICCCricketWorldCup #ChennaiPolice #NationalFlag #PAKvsAFG #news18tamilnadu | https://t.co/7dpn9FD15R pic.twitter.com/HLG7t555HX— News18 Tamil Nadu (@News18TamilNadu) October 23, 2023
However, a senior police official said there was no restriction on carrying the Indian flag and fans were allowed to take flags representing their countries inside.
The official claimed that it was an isolated incident and that the police in general did not prevent or were ordered not to let people carry the Indian flag during the match.
He further informed that the concerned officer acted in his individual capacity and the department has launched an inquiry into why he asked the fans not to carry the tricolour.
Meanwhile, a political row began after BJP state chief K Annamalai took cognisance of the incident and lashed out at the DMK government for trying to disintegrate Tamil Nadu from India.
Mourning our country’s independence, burning parts of our Constitution, seeking a separate statehood, and issuing threats that the call for independent statehood is still alive has been DMK or its ideological party’s way of not wanting TN integrated with our country. Though…
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) October 23, 2023
“The police outside the stadium disallowed fans from carrying the Indian flag to today’s match in Chepauk. Who gave TNCA this right?” Annamalai asked.
“Mourning our country’s independence, burning parts of our Constitution, seeking a separate statehood, and issuing threats that the call for independent statehood is still alive has been DMK or its ideological party’s way of not wanting TN integrated with our country,” Annamalai said in a post on X.
“Though they’ve failed miserably in this misadventure, the DMK Govt today stooped to an all-new low by banning entry to our Country’s Tricolour inside the Chepauk stadium,” he added
The BJP leader also demanded the strictest action against the police officers for insulting our National flag and asked the DMK to apologise to the people of Tamil Nadu.
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