Kerala HC directs LDF govt to put an end to 'flag culture' in public spaces across state

Terming the ‘flag culture’ perpetuated by the political parties in Kerala as ‘Lawlessness’, Kerala High Court on Monday lashed out at the state government for allowing installation of flags of the political parties ‘across the length and breadth of the state’, terming the installations illegal.

The high court further directed the CM Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government to uninstall all the flag masts associated with political parties, their affiliates and trade unions and directed to ensure all are removed till 15 November.

Kerala HC directs LDF govt to remove flag masts of all political parties

The government was also directed to conduct an audit to count the number of illegal flag masts put up and added that they are sure that the figure would be astonishing. ''An audit and survey of the illegal flag masts across the length and breadth of the state must be conducted, I bet the numbers would be mind-boggling. The metal itself could be used for setting up 10 factories,'' Justice Devan Ramachandran said.

The orders were issued at a hearing in which a cooperative society claimed that a political party was illegally erecting flags and banners on its property. The court stated that after a flagpole is erected, its owners believe they are in possession and ownership of the land and proceed to erect boards and other structures next to or beside it and that this is demonstrably apparent in nearly every nook and cranny of the state. "This has to end," it continued.

Despite high court rulings prohibiting such practices, the judge observed that political parties in the state were "competing with each other" in erecting flag masts, regardless of who was in power. ''Today across Ernakulam a political party's flags are up. They are in power. Who are they challenging? Are they challenging the high court,'' the court said in the order. 

The bench further asked ''What is this lawlessness going on here?'' ''Even as we speak, political and similar flag masts are being installed across the length and breadth of the state without any respite.” 

According to the court, such installations can only be put with the approval of municipal authorities.

According to the court, the government was quick to dismantle structures built by common citizens or poor people on 'poramboke' (government) land, but it did nothing about unlawful flag masts used by political parties or their affiliates.

With PTI Inputs

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