Independence Day 2022: Draping Indian flag on car, bike or any other vehicle can land you in jail

India is celebrating its 75th Independence Day this year on August 15 and to celebrate the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged citizens to hoist the Indian national flag at their home as a part of ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign to mark 75th Independence Day. PM Modi has also asked citizens to use ‘tiranga’ as their profile picture of social media accounts between 2nd to 15th August. “When India completes 75 years of its Independence, all of us are going to witness a glorious and historic moment," PM Modi said in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’. While many are participating in the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign by hoisting the Indian tricolour flag at their homes and by using the Indian national flag as a display picture on social media platforms, a few have also draped the Indian flag on their cars, bikes and vehicles. Although the intentions of citizens draping the tiranga on their vehicle may not be wrong, the move can still land them in trouble as it is against the law to drape the Indian National Flag over the hood, top, and sides or back or on a vehicle. 

As per the Flag Code of India, draping the Indian National Flag over the hood, top, and sides or back or on a vehicle, train, boat or an aircraft or any other similar object is considered as a disrespect to the Indian National Flag. According to the Flag Code of India anyone not abiding with this law shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both. Apart from this, the act also reveals that the National Flag shall be a tri-colour panel made up of three rectangular panels or sub-panels of equal widths. The colour of the top panel shall be India saffron (Kesari) and that of the bottom panel shall be India green. The middle panel shall be white, bearing at its centre the design of Ashoka Chakra in navy blue colour with 24 equally spaced spokes. The Ashoka Chakra shall preferably be screen printed or otherwise printed or stenciled or suitably embroidered and shall be completely visible on both sides of the Flag in the centre of the white panel.

The Flag Code of India also reveals that an appropriate size should be chosen for display. The flags of 450 x 300 mm size are intended for aircrafts on VVIP flights, 225 x 150 mm size for motor-cars and 150 x 100 mm size for table flags.