Use tricolour without chakra: Govt

The Govt on Friday said it had no objection to the use of tricolour without the Ashok Chakra.

Seeking to defuse the controversy over the use of national flag by cricketers on their playing kits, the Government on Friday said it had no objection to the use of tricolour without the Ashok Chakra by players on their helmet or costumes.

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This was conveyed by Home Minister Shivraj Patil to Indian cricket board vice-president Rajeev Shukla who called on the minister during the day.

Although the Home Ministry stuck to its stand of not allowing the display of national flag on helmets and costumes, the permission to use the tricolour would come as a relief to top cricketers many of whom were keen to use the tricolour on their playing gears.

"The Home Minister has conveyed to me that cricketers can use the tricolour without the Ashok Chakra on their helmet or costumes," Shukla said.

"There is no objection to the tricolour being used on the helmet or on the costume by the players. However, the national flag (tricolour complete with Ashok Chakra) cannot be displayed as per existing law," a top Home Ministry official said.

Shukla had recently written a letter to the Home Minister seeking clarification on whether the cricketers could use the three colours of the national flag in their costumes without the Ashok Chakra following the ban on the display of the tri-colour.

The Home Ministry had made it clear that cricketers cannot get the Indian flag embossed on their helmet or their costumes as it was violative of the Prevention of Insults to the National Honour Act, 1971.