Union Min claims Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal insulted Indian flag, says 'seems to be altered’

Picking up a bone of contention with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Union Culture Minister Prahlad Patel on Friday, took umbrage to the Delhi CM's televised addresses to the citizens. Attaching a photo from Kejriwal's address, Patel wrote to Kejriwal claiming that he had insulted the flag by 'cutting a part of the middle white portion and pasting additional green parts to it'. He further claimed the CM had insulted the flag as he had used it on for 'decoration', citing MHA's rule on the Indian flag. The photo attached shows two flags crossed behind the CM's seat with a fold in between.

Culture minister claims insult to Indian flag

"When I see your televised address for the past few days, my eyes turn towards the flags behind your chair as it reminds me of my pride and constitutional duty. The middle white portion seems to be cut and an extra green part has been stuck to the flag and this violates section 1.3 of MHA's flag code. Moreover, it seems like you have used the flag for decoration purposes, thus insulting it," claims Patel in his letter.

Delhi CM's press briefing

The Delhi CM has been holding daily press briefings to brief his citizens on the COVID crisis in Delhi, vaccination progress, lockdown restrictions, oxygen crisis etc, often criticising the Centre's failing COVID management. In his latest press briefing, Kejriwal it out at the Centre over its decision to export COVID-19 vaccine to other countries rather than inoculating its own citizens. The Delhi Chief Minister added that if Indians were inoculated on time, the compact on the second wave of the pandemic could have been less and so many people wouldn't have to die.

Kejriwal said that India delayed vaccination by 6 months. He said, "The world’s first vaccine against COVID-19 was created by Indian scientists and the Centre should have vaccinated all people on a war footing. We could have started this in December itself. But we didn't. Rather than inoculating our own people, we started sending doses to other countries."

Appealing to PM Modi to give up politics over COVID, he said, "We will fulfil every responsibility allotted by you (PM Modi). But how can we do something which is not under our purview? The Centre has to fulfil its own responsibilities. You (Centre) provide vaccine doses as per the requirement of the states, we will inoculate our people."