Kota shopkeeper booked for keeping shoes in tricolour-printed boxes
The shopkeeper admitted his mistake and removed around two dozen shoe boxes after Congress workers protested.
The police registered a case against a shopkeeper on Monday for keeping shoes in boxes on which the Tricolour was printed.
After knowing about the shoe boxes carrying a national flag design, Congress workers went to the shop in a mall near Jhalawar Road in Kota city. Shopkeeper Mahesh Rao admitted his mistake after Congress workers protested. He immediately removed around two dozen shoe boxes from his shop.
The police booked the shopkeeper and an unidentified shoe manufacturer after Kranti Tiwari, state president of the Congress’s social justice and empowerment cell, lodged a complaint.
“An FIR has been lodged against shoe shopkeeper Mahesh Rao and an unidentified shoe manufacturer in New Delhi under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act 1971,” said Jaiprakash Beniwal, circle inspector of Vigyan Nagar police station in Kota.
“There is a provision of maximum three years’ imprisonment or fine or both for violation of this Act.” Beniwal said action would be taken after a probe.
“Use of Tricolor design on shoe boxes is defamatory and a conspiracy; this will not be tolerated,” Tiwari said, demanding action.
Mahesh Rao said the shoe boxes arrived from a Delhi firm about 10 days ago and he was ignorant about the Tricolor design.