Muzzafarnagar police arrested a 33-year-old man Wednesday afternoon for allegedly using a Tricolour to protect his rented home from the rain in Rampuri area under Kotwali Police station.
Police said Shiv Sena activists informed them of a man named Shahrukh who “disrespected” the national flag.
“We also arrested him under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act,1971. He has been booked under section 2(g) [using the National Flag as receptacle for receiving, delivering or carrying anything] and will be sent to jail soon,”said Anil Kaparwan, in-charge of Kotwali police station.
Police said Shahrukh is from Baria locality of Agra and had been living in Muzzafarnagar for the last five years. The FIR was lodged by Lokesh Saini, a local Shiv Sena activist.
When contacted, Lalit Mohan Sharma, the West UP chief of the Shiv Sena, said his outfit will never tolerate “desecration” of the national flag.
“We raised a demonstration outside Sharukh’s place when he refused to remove the canopy. We raised Deshdrohi logo ko,maro jute salo ko and Tirange ka apman, nahi sahega Hindustan slogans. We continued protest for nearly one hour which forced senior police officers to reach there and force him to remove the canopy,” Sharma told The Indian Express over phone.