Srinagar: Mehbooba Mufti Faces Heat For Inverted Tricolour; BJP Presses For Legal Action

The protest, organised on the eve of the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A, began after police prevented PDP leaders and workers from marching toward city centre Lal Chowk, prompting them to hold a candlelight demonstration instead.

During the sit‑in, Mufti held the Tricolour in one hand and the flag of the erstwhile state of J&K in the other. Visuals that quickly went viral on social media showed the saffron band positioned at the bottom and the green band at the top—an orientation that violates the Flag Code of India, which mandates saffron at the top, white with the Ashoka Chakra in the middle, and green at the bottom. Although the inverted display appeared brief and she later corrected the orientation, officials indicated that authorities were examining whether legal action should be taken for the violation.

The controversy first gained momentum through widely shared photos and videos on 'X' and other platforms on the night of August 4 and into August 5. Social media users highlighted the inverted orientation and stressed that the saffron band must always be on top.

Some mainstream media outlets soon amplified the issue, describing the flag’s positioning as “erroneous” and noting that it constituted a potential breach of the Flag Code. Officials were quoted as saying that the matter was serious enough to warrant examination for possible legal consequences, though no FIR or confirmed proceedings had been reported till the filing of this report.

The BJP reacted strongly and swiftly. Union Minister Giriraj Singh launched a blistering attack, calling Mufti a “terrorist” and alleging that she had “sided with terrorists for so long.”

He claimed that during the BJP’s earlier alliance with the PDP, the party had attempted to “set her on the right path,” but she had not changed. Singh framed the abrogation of Article 370 as a historic moment comparable to Independence Day and Republic Day, asserting that the constitutional changes fulfilled Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s vision of “one nation, one flag, one prime minister, and one constitution.”

His remarks came directly in response to Mufti’s protest and her renewed demand for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, which she described as essential to J&K’s identity.

J&K BJP president and MP Sat Paul Sharma demanded strict legal action, calling the incident a “serious matter.” He linked the controversy to Mufti’s earlier statements on Article 370, recalling her warning from 2019—months before the abrogation—that “if Article 370 is removed, there will be no one left to hold the Tricolour in J&K.” Sharma argued that the inverted flag incident raised questions about how such individuals could be expected to respect the national flag, adding that the government should take whatever legal course of action was appropriate.

In Jammu, the Shiv Sena Dogra Front staged a protest over the allegations, while several BJP activists and supporters on social media described the act as an insult and urged the government or Home Ministry to intervene.

Other political reactions were more measured. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah suggested that the inversion was likely accidental, saying he did not believe a former chief minister would intentionally disrespect the national flag. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale echoed this sentiment, stating that authorities should first determine whether the act was deliberate or inadvertent before deciding on any action. Meanwhile, ruling National Conference chief spokesperson and MLA Tanvir Sadiq took a pointed jab at Mufti by posting the viral image 'X' and writing that “those who once claimed there would be no one left to hold the Tricolour are now in such a hurry to wave it that they can’t even hold it the right way up,” calling it a dramatic turnaround from her earlier stance.

PDP sources denied that its leader Mufti had insulted the national flag and maintained that the moment captured in photographs was being misinterpreted. According to party insiders, Mufti had merely taken the two small flags—the Tricolour and the now‑defunct J&K state flag—out of her sling bag, and before she could properly display them, photojournalists clicked pictures that made it appear as though she was holding the national flag upside down.

The PDP also condemned Giriraj Singh’s remarks. Senior party leader and MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Para described Singh’s comments as “outrageous” and “irresponsible,” arguing that referring to a former chief minister and senior Muslim woman leader as a “terrorist” reflected prejudice and political intolerance. Para said such language was beneath the dignity expected of a Union Minister and demonstrated a mindset rather than a political argument.