Mandira Bedi Apologises for violating the Flag Code

Barely a day after a Jaipur resident filed a police complaint against actress and TV anchor Mandira Bedi for allegedly showing disrespect to the national flag, another complaint was filed on the same grounds against her in a court in in the South Indian city of Kozhikode on Monday.

Pushparaj, hailing from Koyilandy near here, moved the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court seeking action against Bedi for reportedly wearing a sari while hosting a show on a TV channel during the World Cup final that had the national flags of the 16 participating nations printed in it.

According to the complainant, ‘India’s flag, however, was placed near her knees’ which allegedly violated the Flag Code.

“By wearing the sari, she has shown disrespect to our national flag and according to section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, she can be punished with imprisonment upto three years”, petitioner’s Counsel, S K Premraj told PTI over phone from Kochi.

While Bedi has been arrayed in as the first accused, designer Puneet Nanda is the second accused, he said, adding the complainant has also prayed for examining Kunaldas Gupta, Chief Executive of Sony Entertainment TV, Charu Sharma, co-anchor, former cricketers Tony Greig, Arjuna Ranatunga and Ian Chappell as witnesses, as they were present during the show ‘Extraa Innings’.

The court accepted the complaint on file and posted the matter for May 10, he said.

Bedi had earlier been amidst controversy for using a Sikh religious symbol on her body as a tattoo. She then sent a signed apology to the Akal Takht, the highest body of Sikh religious affairs, expressing regret.

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