Tricolour falls during CM Mufti’s I-Day event in Srinagar, probe ordered

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti faced an embarrassing moment on Monday when the tricolour she was going to hoist at the official Independence Day ceremony fell off the post.

An inquiry was immediately ordered into the fiasco at the event at Bakshi stadium in Srinagar .

Mehbooba, who was hoisting the national flag as chief minister for the first time, pulled the string attached to the post only to see the tricolour fall and land on the ground. She could be seen in photographs holding the flag up.

As the embarrassing situation unfolded, two personnel held the flag in their hands till Mehbooba gave the ceremonial salute.

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As Mehbooba left the stage for inspecting the contingents of police and paramilitary forces, security staff hurriedly hoisted the flag.

Later, director general of police K Rajendra Kumar said he had ordered an inquiry into the incident.

“An inquiry was ordered immediately into the incident so as to fix the responsibility,” Kumar told PTI.

The DGP said it was a lapse on part of “someone and that person needs to answer. How can the flag come down like that!”