Allahabad: The Allahabad High Court today directed Secretaries of all departments in Uttar Pradesh government to ensure the hoisting of the national flag and reciting of the national anthem in all institutions controlled or aided by the state on Independence Day and Republic Day.
A division bench, comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Yashwant Verma, passed the order while disposing of a Public Interest Litigation filed by Ajeet Gaur, a resident of Aligarh, who had sought "a writ of mandamus to the state government to ensure that all Madarsas in the state conduct flag-hoisting ceremony on the occasion of Independence Day and Republic Day".
Quoting from Article 51 A of the Constitution wherein the fundamental duties are enlisted, the court said hoisting of national flag and reciting of national anthem on August 15 and January 26 were "constitutional duty of all citizens" and hence the state must ensure that these took place at all institutions.
The court also took note of a counter-affidavit filed by the Principal Secretary of the state's Minority Welfare Department that instructions were already in place that these ceremonies take place on the aforementioned days at all educational institutions meant for religious minorities.
The court had remarked in its previous order that no material was placed before it "to indicate that any particular institution has not observed the flag-hoisting ceremony.
