Supreme Court seeks Centre's stand on plea to ban hoisting green flags
New Delhi, July 16 : The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Centre's stand on a plea by a cleric seeking a ban on hoisting green flags with a crescent and star, terming it un-Islamic and resembling that of a Pakistani political party.
A bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan asked Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, to seek instructions from the government on the issue and posted it for hearing after two weeks.
"Take instructions on what's the stand of the government. Sometime it would be difficult for the government... They would be blamed that they are taking mala fide action. Now the matter is with the court, they can take instructions," the bench said.
The court asked the petitioner to serve a copy of the petition to Mehta in order to take instruction from the Centre.
The court was hearing a plea filed by the Syed Waseem Rizvi, Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Board of Waqfs, allegeding that the flags hoisted resembled the flags of the Pakistan Muslim League, which belongs to "enemy country".
Senior advocate S.P. Singh, appearing for Rizvi, told the court that during the petitioner's visit to Mumbai, Hyderabad, Karnataka and other places in the country, he saw flags on several buildings and religious structures, which were allegedly a cause of tension between Hindu and Muslim communities.
Such flags were being hoisted in Muslim-dominated areas with utmost impunity and the crescent and star in a green backdrop have never been part of any Islamic practice and does not have any role or significance in Islam, claimed the plea.
The petition stated that the crescent star flags in green colour owes its origins to the erstwhile Muslim League, founded by Nawab Viqar ul-Mulk and Mohammad Ali Jinnah in 1906. But now, it was being used by Indian Muslims who were treating it as an Islamic flag.
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Drama unfolds over donation of late CPI(M) leader's body to govt hospital amid family dispute
Kochi (PTI): Dramatic scenes unfolded at the Ernakulam town hall, where the mortal remains of CPI(M) leader M M Lawrence were kept for public homage, as the late leader's daughter protested the decision to hand over his body to the Government Medical College Hospital here.
The unexpected events occurred after Asha moved the Kerala High Court, challenging the decision of her siblings to donate their father's body to the medical college for educational purposes.
The High Court, after considering the plea, directed the Kalamassery Medical College authorities to hear the objections and take a decision in accordance with the Kerala Anatomy Act.
The court also instructed the college to preserve the body for the time being at the mortuary.
In her petition, the daughter claimed that her father had been baptized and that all his children were baptized in the church.
She further alleged that her siblings along with the Communist party were attempting to project him as an atheist.
Two of Lawrence's children had previously given their consent to handing over the body to the medical college.
Lawrence died on September 21 at the age of 95.
Meanwhile, the ruling CPI(M) clarified that it has no role in the matter.
Whether to hand over the body to the medical college or bury it in a church is a decision for the family, the party said.
CPI(M) district secretary K A Salim said that the decision to hand over the body to the medical college was made by his son.
The court's decision came as the Medical College authorities reached the town hall to take possession of the body.
Asha, the complainant in the case, protested as the body was being handed over to the Medical College authorities amidst chanting of slogans by CPI(M) workers who had gathered to pay their last respects to the departed leader.
Lawrence's son said he decided to hand over the body for medical studies as per his father's last wish.
