📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Vice President's Secretariat
Politics
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal questions if flag‑waving is a crime amid CJP leaders' custody
✍️ The Economic Times
🗓 15 Oct 2026, 04:47 AM
👁 13
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that treating the act of waving the national flag as a criminal offence is questionable, commenting on the recent judicial custody of CJP leaders.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal raised concerns on Tuesday about the legal characterisation of waving the Indian national flag, asking whether such a gesture can be treated as a criminal act. His remarks came in the wake of a court order that placed several leaders associated with the CJP in judicial custody.
The court’s decision to keep the CJP leaders behind bars has sparked debate over the balance between law enforcement and political expression. While details of the charges were not disclosed, the custody has drawn attention from opposition parties and civil‑society groups.
Kejriwal, speaking to reporters, said that the flag is a symbol of the nation’s unity and should not be criminalised when displayed by citizens. He urged the authorities to ensure that any legal action respects constitutional freedoms and does not stifle patriotic expression.
The Economic Times reported the statement, noting that Kejriwal’s comments add to the ongoing political discourse surrounding the case. No official response from the judiciary or the CJP leadership was available at the time of reporting.
Analysts suggest that the issue could become a flashpoint in broader debates about dissent, nationalism and the rule of law in India, especially as the matter proceeds through the courts.
The court’s decision to keep the CJP leaders behind bars has sparked debate over the balance between law enforcement and political expression. While details of the charges were not disclosed, the custody has drawn attention from opposition parties and civil‑society groups.
Kejriwal, speaking to reporters, said that the flag is a symbol of the nation’s unity and should not be criminalised when displayed by citizens. He urged the authorities to ensure that any legal action respects constitutional freedoms and does not stifle patriotic expression.
The Economic Times reported the statement, noting that Kejriwal’s comments add to the ongoing political discourse surrounding the case. No official response from the judiciary or the CJP leadership was available at the time of reporting.
Analysts suggest that the issue could become a flashpoint in broader debates about dissent, nationalism and the rule of law in India, especially as the matter proceeds through the courts.