Goa: Ponda resident accused of hoisting Pakistan-like flag gets bail, claims innocence

PONDA: A local JMFC court here granted bail to 43-year-old Kayabuddin Ali, who was arrested by the Goa police on charges of allegedly hoisting a Pakistani-like flag above the national tricolor at his residence.

Ali residing at Zigdimol Curti on the outskirts of Ponda city, was arrested yesterday, after locals raised a hue and cry, besides creating outrage on social media after images of the green Pakistan-like flag with the tricolor below it began doing the rounds on social media and local WhatsApp groups.

Zigdimol Curti is a sensitive area with a huge migrant population, most of them living in slums and shanties, with several houses considered illegal and on government land.

Outraged locals visited his residence and a scuffle took place. Police rushed to the spot and dispersed the crowd.

Ali who has been living in Goa for the last 20 years is a carpenter and originally hails from Uttar Pradesh. ALSO READ: Singer Rahul Jain denies rape allegations, says victim is “planted”

In his defence Ali explained that the said Pakistan-like flag had nothing to do with Pakistan. It is a religious flag, which was hoisted on EiD, but could look similar to the Pakistani flag. The religious flag was put up several days earlier, he told a local YouTube channel, adding that a clothes line was also tied to the same flag pole.

“I had purchased two tri-colors – one for my house and one for my vehicle. The tricolor flag which was meant to be hoisted at home was kept at home. When I went for work, my kids hoisted it on the same pole below the religious flag as they could not reach the height. We had no intention to insult the National Flag. It was done unknowingly by my children who do not know about law. They put up the flag at a height where they could reach. We are Indians first and foremost and respect the National Flag. The kids did not know that one cannot hoist another flag above the National Flag on the same pole. I had gone for work when the commotion took place. My family and I apologize for the inadvertent mistake by my young kids, but the entire episode was blown out of proportion by some vested interests who made a mountain out of a mole hill by politicizing the matter,” Ali told media persons in Ponda.

Ali was arrested yesterday after a case was registered under section 2 of Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act 1971, after the situation seemed to go out of hand for a while.

The court accepted his arguments and granted him bail.