'Black flag protest is not derogatory'; HC quashes case against Congress workers

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Thursday said that waving a black flag at someone is neither defamatory nor illegal. The High Court made the observation quashing the case against the Congress workers who protested against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Paravur

"Waving flags of any colour during a protest is not illegal. Minor uses of force are common during protests. Hence, the charge of obstructing the duties of officials will not stand," the court said. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas, who considered the case, added that legal actions should be avoided in such trivial matters.

The incident related to the case took place on April 9, 2017. The police had registered a case against the Congress workers who waved black flags against the Chief Minister in Paravur. Apart from the charge of waving black flags against the Chief Minster, they were also booked for obstructing the duty of the officials. Following this, the Congress workers approached the court seeking to quash the case.