CAA Protestors Replace Ashoka Chakra with Islamic Shahada: Fact Check

Story:

Anti CAA Protestors Replaced the Ashoka Chakra on Indian Tricolor with Islamic Shahada meaning there is no other God but Allah

Other Versions

Ashoka Chakra Removed from Indian National Flag and Replaced by ‘La Ilaha Illallah’ in Anti CAA Protests in Hyderabad

Fact Check:

A ‘controversial’ image viral on social media purports to show Anti CAA Protestors Replaced Ashoka Chakra with Islamic Shahada during a rally in Hyderabad. It appears to show Ashoka Chakra in Indian National Flag replaced with ‘La Ilaha Illallah’ in Arabic. It means there is no other God worth worshiping than Allah. Yes, the image is real and the claims are also true.

Ashoka Chakra in Indian Tricolor Replaced with Islamic Shahada

On 4th Jan. 2020, thousands of people took to the streets of Hyderabad protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). They went on a rally waiving the Indian tricolor, shouting slogans and holding posters and banners.

The image in question shows a large crowd gathering at Dharna Chowk near Lower Tank Bund. The protestors carry a big Indian national flag, removing the revered Ashoka Chakra and printing the Islamic Shahada ‘La Ilaha Illallah,’ meaning there is no other God worth worshiping than Allah.

The New Indian Express in Telangana shared the picture on Twitter saying Million March begins in Hyderabad. Photojournalist Vinay Madapu of the same publication took the photograph.

Disfiguring Ashoka Chakra Insult to National Honour

The revered Ashoka Chakra on Indian Tricolor is a depiction of the Dharma Chakra, signifying the ‘Wheel of the Law’. Disfiguring or distorting Indian national flag is in fact an insult to national honour. Putting any kind of inscription upon the Indian National Flag is showing disrespect to the same. Section 2 in The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 states:

Whoever in any public place or in any other place within public view burns, mutilates, defaces, defiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon or [otherwise shows disrespect to or brings] into contempt (whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts) the Indian National Flag or the Constitution of India or any part thereof, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

Cases Booked After Rally

On the other hand, Hyderabad Police granted permission only for a protest meeting from 2 pm to 5 pm at Dharna Chowk, and not a rally. It was in response to an application submitted by Mustaq Mallik, an organizer of Tehreek-e-Shaba. The permission was in fact given on the condition saying no more than 1,000 people would be allowed to gather at Indira Park. However, on the day Indira Park was overcrowded with more than 10,000 CAA protestors. They also took to an open ground beside it for holding demonstrations. Consequently, traffic went out of gear for nearly six hours on arterial routes in Hyderabad. It caused massive traffic jams, leaving motorists fuming. Hyderabad Police filed multiple cases on the organizers of the rally for violating the permission granted by the authorities.

Hoax or Fact:

Fact.