A sub-inspector (SI) of police in Chennai has been transferred after he allegedly disrespected the Indian national flag, while he was on-duty at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday, October 23. He was posted at the stadium for duty ahead of the Pakistan-Afghanistan World Cup cricket match. A video of the incident has been circulated on social media, following which the police was transferred to the control room.
The video shows the SI taking two national flags out from a dustbin, while people ask him not to put the flag in it. People are heard saying he dumped the flags in the dustbin and questioning why he did so. He then takes the flag to his police vehicle.
According to reports, some fans tried to enter the stadium through Gate 4 on the Victoria Hostel Road with the Indian national flag when they were stopped by the police. The Greater Chennai Police said that an inquiry has been initiated and action will be taken against the concerned police officer based on the inquiry report. “The incident mentioned has been brought to notice. Enquiry has been initiated against the SI concerned deployed for bandobast duty at MAC Stadium. He was recalled to the Control Room. Appropriate action as per law will be taken based on the findings. Apart from this solitary incident, no other reported. It is observed that many spectators are freely carrying and displaying the Indian tri-colour inside the stadium,” the police said.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai accused that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) “stooped to an all-new low by banning” the Indian national flag inside Chepauk stadium. “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 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. They hate everything about this great nation, from Sanatana Dharma to our sovereignty and wish to remain a parrot of our coloniser,” he said.