PMO seeks explanation on banning RSS chief from hoisting national flag

The Prime Minister’s Office has sought a response from the Kerala Government on a petition regarding the Palakkad district administration’s alleged attempt to stop RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat from unfurling the national flag at a school.
 
The petition is in connection with Independence Day celebrations at the Karnakayamma Higher Secondary School at Moothanthara, with the then district collector P Marykutty issuing a circular restricting organisational heads from unfurling the tricolour at government-aided schools. Bhagwat ignored the order and went ahead with the event. Later, BJP district president E Krishnadas formally raised objection to the circular and communicated it to the PMO.
 
In a communication dated August 22, the PMO directed the Chief Secretary to respond to the petitioner. Krishnadas said the circular, sent to the school headmaster late night on August 14, was in “gross violation” of a citizen’s Constitutional rights.
 
“The state machinery was misused to prevent a citizen from exercising his Constitutional right. The circular has no legal standing. It’s also to be noted that only this particular school was targeted though religious heads and political leaders had unfurled the tricolour in other schools in the district,” Krishnadas told Deccan Herald.
 
The Collector had sent the circular to the school management, the district police chief, Tahsildar and the Deputy Director of Education, stipulating that only school administrators or elected people’s representatives should hoist the tricolour. The ruling CPM had alleged that Bhagwat’s defiance was part of Sangh Parivar’s attempts to trigger political violence.