Hardik Pandya slammed with police complaint for T20 WC celebration:Pune lawyer accuses cricketer of ‘insulting’ Tricolour

A complaint has been filed against Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya for allegedly disrespecting the national flag (Tricolour). This complaint was lodged at the Shivaji Nagar Police Station in Bengaluru by Pune-based lawyer Wajid Khan Bidkar. The complaint alleges that Pandya did not respect the national flag during the celebrations held at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium after India’s victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. According to the complainant, several videos of the team celebrating on the field after Team India’s victory went viral on social media. In one video, Pandya is seen dancing and running on the field with the Indian Tricolour draped over his shoulder. It is alleged that during the celebration, Pandya was seen lying on the stage with his girlfriend, while the Tricolour was still draped over his shoulder. The complainant states that this is against the respect due to the national flag. Pune lawyer alleges Hardik disrespected the dignity of national flag Advocate Wajid Khan said that according to the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, which is related to the respect of the national flag, it is mandatory to maintain the dignity of the Tricolour. He alleged that during the celebration, Hardik Pandya failed to pay attention to this, which can be considered an insult to the national flag. In this matter, he has filed a complaint under Section 2 of the same law. This law has been enacted to prevent the insult of national symbols such as the national flag, the Constitution, and the national anthem. Under this, allowing the Tricolour to fall on the ground, wearing it improperly, or in any way harming its dignity is considered punishable. Khan stated that he has filed a written complaint at Shivaji Nagar Police Station. Initially, the police said that since the incident occurred in Ahmedabad, the case should be registered there. However, Khan argued that the Tricolour is a national symbol of the entire country, so a complaint can be filed anywhere. Later, the police accepted his complaint and also provided him with a copy. India won the title by defeating New Zealand India won the T20 World Cup title by defeating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final. This is India’s third T20 World Cup title. India had previously won this trophy in 2007 and 2024 as well. Meanwhile, this is the first time a team has won the T20 World Cup in their home country and claimed the title twice in a row.