The Pakistan versus Afghanistan World Cup match took place on October 23 at the Chepauk stadium in Chennai. An incident involving the Indian tricolour has created a controversy now. A sub-inspector (SI) of police reportedly confiscated two Indian flags from cricket fans going into the stadium and three in the dustbin. When he was questioned by fans about his disrespectful behaviour, he took the flags and put them in his police vehicle. The video of the incident went viral on social media and the Greater Chennai Police launched an investigation post which the SI was transferred.
The Greater Chennai Police posted on social media, “The incident mentioned has been brought to notice. Enquiry has been initiated against the SI concerned deployed for bandobast duty at MAC Stadium. He was recalled to the Control Room. Appropriate action as per law will be taken based on the findings. Apart from this solitary incident, no other reported. It is observed that many spectators are freely carrying and displaying the Indian tri-colour inside the stadium.”
Now, BJP leader K Annamalai has accused the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) of ‘stooping to an all-new low’. He wrote on X (formerly twitter), “Mourning our country’s independence, burning parts of our Constitution, seeking a separate statehood, and issuing threats that the call for independent statehood is still alive has been DMK or its ideological party’s way of not wanting TN integrated with our country. Though they’ve failed miserably in this misadventure, the DMK Govt today stooped to an all-new low by banning entry to our Country’s Tricolour inside the Chepauk stadium. They hate everything about this great nation, from Sanatana Dharma to our sovereignty and wish to remain a parrot of our coloniser. #AntiNationalDMK.”
Annamalai demanded that DMK apologise, stating, “DMK should apologise to the people of our state, failing which, Tamil Nadu BJP will be compelled to protest against this Corrupt DMK for denigrating the sanctity of the Tricolor.”
Many cricket fans on social media expressed anger at what the SI did at the stadium and some termed it ‘unpradonable’.