New Delhi, Oct 16: Amid dramatic scenes, detentions by law enforcers and a congregation of Tricolour-waving people in Connaught Place to support the CJP’s ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march, the Delhi Police on Friday circulated on social media a list of rules related to respecting the national flag.

In a post on social media, the police cautioned people against disrespecting the Tricolour while waving it to express patriotism.

The Delhi Police said on X, “Our Tricolour deserves the highest respect. Let patriotism reflect in every gesture. Respect the Flag. Uphold the Pride.”

Within hours of detaining Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) founder and convener Abhijeet Dipke for giving a call for an unauthorised march, the police took to social media and circulated a list of 12 rules culled out from the Flag Code of India.

The police cautioned people against disrespecting the tricolour – an offence that invites imprisonment of up to three years with a fine.

Circulating the rules, the police reminded citizens that the “Flag shall not be intentionally allowed to touch the ground or floor, or trail in water; it shall not be used to cover a speaker’s desk, nor draped over a speaker’s platform; it shall not be draped over the hood, top, sides or back of any vehicle, train, boat or aircraft or used as a covering for a building”.

While the CJP’s proposed venue for the Tiranga march – Central Park in Connaught Place (CP) – remained out of bounds on Friday evening, many people gathered around the circular Central Park, on roads converging at the central Delhi park and gates of Rajiv Chowk Metro station till after sunset.

Left student leader Neha Bora and some of her All India Students’ Association supporters were detained and ferried away by the police, while other small groups of slogan shouters were detained from Barakhamba Road and other spots.

Later, Rajya Sabha MP and Communist leader John Brittas marched in Connaught Place with supporters while holding the tricolour in hand.

The police continued to use social media to educate people about the respect to be shown towards the national flag, reminding them about the illegality of intentional display of the flag with ”saffron” down.

In their message on X, the police quoted the rules and said that the tricolour shall not be used as part of any costume or uniform, or embroidered or printed on cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins or dress material.

“No lettering of any kind shall be placed on the National Flag, and the Flag shall not be used as a receptacle for receiving, delivering, holding or carrying anything, except flower petals placed inside before it is unfurled on special occasions and National Days,” reminded the Delhi Police on X.

According to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, a person who brings into contempt the Indian National Flag shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with a fine, or with both.

Earlier, Dipke was detained after being served two notices by the Delhi Police, urging him to refrain from staging the gathering at Connaught Place, as the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has not given permission for it and prohibitory orders are in place at the proposed venue.

According to officials, one of the notices was issued on behalf of the New Delhi district authorities under the Delhi Police Act, instructing individuals not to visit Central Park, as Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) is currently in force.

A second notice was issued to Dipke by the South West Delhi authorities, reminding him that he, along with CJP co-conveners Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, were previously ‘bound down’ (placed under a legal undertaking) following their preventive detention at the airport and subsequent production before a court.

New Delhi, Oct 16: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report regarding the alleged assault and inhuman treatment of a married woman by her husband and family members in Gujarat Surendranagar district. In a separate matter, the NHRC has also taken suo motu cognisance of a media report regarding the alleged contamination of borewell water in Maharashtra Nashik district.

Observing that the contents of the media report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights, the apex human rights body has issued notices to the Surendranagar District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, seeking a detailed report within two weeks.

The NHRC said the report is expected to include the current health status of the victim and details of any compensation paid to her.

According to the media report, the woman and the man she was living with, were allegedly tracked down by the husband and family members of the woman. They were enraged over her living with the man.

They brought them both back to Surendranagar under the pretext of conducting a “purification ritual”.

The woman was allegedly beaten with sticks, kicked and tied to a tree. The accused also allegedly forced the man accompanying her to rape her.

The incident reportedly came to light after a video of the alleged assault was circulated on social media.

In another matter, the NHRC has also taken suo motu cognisance of a media report regarding the alleged contamination of borewell water in Dattanagar locality near the Ambad Industrial Area in Maharashtra’s Nashik district due to the seepage of chemical-laden factory effluents.

The apex human rights body has issued a notice to the Maharashtra Chief Secretary, seeking a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.

It has also sought comments from the Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board.

The NHRC observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise serious issues of violation of human rights.

According to the media report, carried on October 7, residents of Dattanagar have allegedly been receiving contaminated borewell water for the past two months due to the seepage of chemical-laden effluents allegedly discharged from factories in the adjoining industrial area.

The report stated that children had been advised not to attend schools, while doctors had advised women in the locality to avoid pregnancy.

The residents are reportedly spending around Rs 5,000 per month on purchasing clean drinking water, besides incurring substantial expenses on medical treatment.

Lucknow, Oct 16: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Friday trained guns at the Election Commission’s new drive titled Special Summary Revision (SSR), stating that it has made the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) “null and void”.

“SIR (voter revision drive) has become zero because SSR has arrived. Isn’t that correct? If the SSR exercise is being conducted, then SIR has become zero now,” Akhilesh Yadav alleged in his address at a gathering here.

The SSR exercise was rolled out by the poll panel on Thursday. In a notification, the EC directed the special revision of electoral rolls in 17 states and Union Territories and also mandated, for the first time, sharing of “machine-readable” versions of voter lists with the political parties.

The SP supremo, taking potshots at the SSR exercise, presented a young voter with multiple registrations in different districts, questioning the efficacy of the drive.

“This young man did not even know how many voter registrations existed in his name. He applied for only one. Look at the gift that the BJP has given him by colluding with the Election Commission,” Akhilesh Yadav said.

Notably, the machine-readable/PDF list of electoral rolls has long been a pending demand of political parties. With the new directives, the panel officials will now provide copies of draft and final electoral rolls to political parties not in image format but in ‘machine-readable’ PDF format.

The SP supremo, unconvinced with the EC’s new revision exercise, remained unsparing in his criticism of the EC and accused it of conspiring with the ruling BJP dispensation for facilitating ‘vote chori’.

He said that when the EC’s wrongdoings were caught during the voter revision exercise across poll-bound states under the SIR, they called it a “minor mistake”, “but this is not an erroneous step but a conspiracy and plot to loot the mandate of people”.

“The protest is taking place because their (EC and BJP) theft is being exposed and their actions are being uncovered. Why are they trying to steal votes? Why are they engaging in theft, conspiracies and manipulation through SIR or SSR?” Akhilesh Yadav asked.

Notably, the SSR drive will be held in 17 states and UTs, where the polling has been completed. According to EC officials, the elections in these states are scheduled next year.

The SSR, an annual exercise, seeks to enrol new eligible voters and update the electoral rolls. Under this, the applicants aren’t expected to submit documents to prove their citizenship or get mapped through previous electoral rolls.