Jammu & Kashmir High Court stays order on using two flags

Srinagar: A larger bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Friday stayed an earlier order of a single judge bench allowing the state government to use both the Tricolour as well as the state flag on official buildings and vehicles.

On December 26, Justice Hasnain Massodi had directed the state government to hoist the state flag, along with the national flag. However, Jammu and Kashmir deputy chief minister and BJP leader Dr. Nirmal Singh had publicly questioned the use of the state flag. He had said earlier this week that no flag could be hoisted at an equal level to the national flag and said the matter will be dealt legally.

On Friday, a division bench of the J&K high court comprising Justice Bansi Lal Bhat and Justice Tashi Rabstan stayed the order of Justice Massodi. Justice Massodi’s judgment was challenged by a former Inspector General of Police and BJP leader Farooq Khan through a Letter Patents Appeal (LPA).

Jammu and Kashmir’s flag consists of a deep red field, representing labour, charged with a plough to represent agriculture. It also has three white stripes on the hoist side representing the three geographic regions of the State: Jammu, the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region.

It was made the official flag of the State on June 7, 1952 through a resolution passed by the Constituent Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir.