SC Bench Refers PIL Seeking Ban On Hoisting Of "Pak Muslim League-Like" Flags In India To Another Bench

A Supreme Court Bench today said "another bench will hear" the petition filed by Syed Waseem Rizvi, Chairman of Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board seeking a ban on hoisting of green flags with crescent and star, akin to that of Pakistan Muslim League atop buildings and religious places in the country.

The petition was listed before a bench of justices N V Ramana and Abdul Nazeer .

Justice Ramana said : "See we cannot hear this. We do not have roster for PILs. Let it go before the appropriate bench"

The petitioner had termed the hoisting of such flag“un-Islamic”.

“Such flags are being hoisted in Muslim-dominated areas with utmost impunity”, the public interest litigation said, claiming that 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.

The PIL even sought proceedings against persons and organizations hoisting the flag of Pakistan Muslim League, a party belonging to the “enemy country”.

Rizvi claimed in his plea that during his visit to Mumbai 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.

 The plea alleged that the flags hoisted resembled the flags of the Pakistan Muslim League, which belongs to the “enemy country”.

 It claimed that the crescent star flags in green colour owe its origins to the erstwhile political party, Muslim League, founded by Nawaz Waqar Ul-Malik and Mohammad Ali Jinnah in 1906, but in the present day, it was being used by Indian Muslims who were treating it as an Islamic flag.

India Union  Muslim League founded in 1948 had crescent and star in the left top corner.

The petition said that Pakistan, as an “enemy country”, has been responsible for a series of terror attacks on our country and promoting and propagating cross-border terrorism. “Our country remains vulnerable to the hidden attacks by the Pakistani intelligence agencies through their militant network which is very active in our country”, he claimed.

 “Hoisting of enemy flags by persons under wrong belief that it is a religious flag, require the immediate attention of the government agencies,” it claimed.

“Indian government utterly failed to look into this sensational matter and therefore prestige and integrity of the country is in danger”, said the PIL.

“Hoisting of Pakistan Muslim League Flags and other flags resembling the same are flags of foreign country (enemy country) is not permitted in law and thus effects the fundamental rights of the petitioner and society at large”, said Rizvi.