The Madras High Court has directed that individuals who prevent the hoisting of the national flag on Independence Day should be arrested under the Goondas Act.The order was issued in response to a petition filed by Namachivayam, the president of the Central Government Employees’ Residence Association in Velappanchavadi, Chennai. In his petition, Namachivayam stated that their association was founded in 2018, and some individuals had obstructed the hoisting of the national flag within their residential complex during Republic Day. He expressed concern that the same individuals were planning to prevent the flag hoisting on the upcoming Independence Day.
He requested the court to direct the Thiruverkadu police to provide protection for the flag hoisting.
Before the court proceedings began in the morning, Advocate Bhaskar Narayanan urgently presented the petition before Justice Jayachandran, who responded by stating, “Preventing the hoisting of the national flag on Independence Day is a disgraceful act. Those who obstruct it should be arrested under the Goondas Act and imprisoned. No one should be allowed to stop the flag hoisting.”
Justice Jayachandran also assured that the case would be taken up for expedited hearing.
Later in the afternoon, government advocate Mugilan appeared before the court and stated, “There is a dispute between two groups within the residential welfare association regarding the hoisting of the national flag. One group claims to be the rightful administrators and insists on hoisting the flag, while the other group also claims to be the legitimate administrators and wants to hoist the flag themselves. However, there is only one flagpole.”
Following this, Justice Jayachandran ordered, “Both groups should cooperate and hoist the flag together on Independence Day. If they fail to do so, the police inspector in that area should hoist the flag.”