PDP's Mehbooba insults India's national flag, holds it upside down during sit-in against Article 370
During the sit-in, the former chief minister held the national flag and the flag of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. However, the national flag was erroneously held upside down.
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On Wednesday, August 5, a novel controversy erupted after People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti was seen holding an inverted national flag during a protest in Srinagar on Tuesday night.
During the sit-in, the former chief minister held the national flag and the flag of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. However, the national flag was erroneously held upside down. The video of the incident went viral on social media with netizens calling out Mufti.
"SHOCKING PROVOCATION? OPEN DISRESPECT FOR INDIA'S NATIONAL FLAG?" one of the users said.
"Election Commission should cancel registration of her party, PDP. She has no right to contest Elections in India," another read.
"If this pic is real, she should be booked for insulting our flag. And if this pic is not an AI product, take it that this is intentional," one of the users said.
Ahead of the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 on Wednesday, Jammu and Kashmir police issued a public advisory banning all unauthorised protests or processions, and warned of strict action in case of any violation.
They warned that any violation of the prescribed legal provisions shall be dealt with strictly in accordance with law. The police said comprehensive security arrangements have been put in place to maintain peace, public order and public safety. They appealed to all citizens to cooperate with law enforcement agencies, maintain peace and communal harmony, refrain from spreading rumours or unverified information, and immediately report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station.
Mehbooba led party leaders and workers at a sit-in outside the PDP office here to protest the Centre's removal of Jammu and Kashmir's special autonomous status by abrogating Articles 370 and 35A in August 2019.
During the sit-in, the former chief minister held the national flag and the flag of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. However, the national flag was erroneously held upside down. The video of the incident went viral on social media with netizens calling out Mufti.
"SHOCKING PROVOCATION? OPEN DISRESPECT FOR INDIA'S NATIONAL FLAG?" one of the users said.
SHOCKING PROVOCATION? OPEN DISRESPECT FOR INDIA'S NATIONAL FLAG? 🇮🇳
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) August 5, 2026
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti staged a protest in Srinagar against the abrogation of Article 370 while holding the Indian Tricolour upside down, alongside the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir flag. pic.twitter.com/GC0yX02oqO
"Election Commission should cancel registration of her party, PDP. She has no right to contest Elections in India," another read.
Election commission shud cancel registration of her Party PDP.
— Frontalforce 🇮🇳 (@FrontalForce) August 5, 2026
She has no right to contest Elections in India.. https://t.co/d4frPX7Zq6
"If this pic is real, she should be booked for insulting our flag. And if this pic is not an AI product, take it that this is intentional," one of the users said.
If this pic is real, she should be booked for insulting our flag. And if this pic is not AI product, take it that this is intentional. https://t.co/YXCUxSLdy9
— Col AJ🇮🇳 (@ajaykraina) August 5, 2026
As per the reports, the authorities are now mulling legal action against the PDP chief. An incorrect display of the national flag, such as inverted colours, wrong proportions, or damaged fabric, violates the Flag Code of India. According to the rules, the top band must always be saffron, the middle white with a 24-spoke navy blue Ashoka Chakra, and the bottom green.
Ahead of the seventh anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 on Wednesday, Jammu and Kashmir police issued a public advisory banning all unauthorised protests or processions, and warned of strict action in case of any violation.
The advisory, issued by various district police headquarters, comes in view of a protest call given by the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP. "The general public is informed that no protest, rally, procession, demonstration or any other public gathering shall be held without prior permission from the competent authority," police said in the advisory.
They warned that any violation of the prescribed legal provisions shall be dealt with strictly in accordance with law. The police said comprehensive security arrangements have been put in place to maintain peace, public order and public safety. They appealed to all citizens to cooperate with law enforcement agencies, maintain peace and communal harmony, refrain from spreading rumours or unverified information, and immediately report any suspicious activity to the nearest police station.