No permission needed to hoist national flag: Neha Bora tells court

New Delhi: All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora has challenged a Delhi Police notice requiring a Rs 10,000 peace bond, alleging an attempt to suppress peaceful dissent.

The Delhi High Court heard arguments on October 22 and reserved its order for October 23 at 6 pm. Bora seeks cancellation.

Bora was detained on October 16 at Mandi House while heading to a protest march and released the next morning. Her counsel, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, called her detention illegal and challenged the notice.

The dispute centres on the police allegation that Bora instigated people to join the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march at Central Park, Connaught Place. Her petition says she called for a separate gathering at Mandi House and denies involvement in the CJP protest call.

Sankaranarayanan argued that citizens do not need permission to hoist the national flag, challenging the notice’s allegation that it would be raised without valid authorisation.

Issued by a Special Executive Magistrate on October 17 under Sections 126 and 130 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), read with Section 135(3), the notice directed Bora to explain why she should not be required to provide a personal bond of Rs 10,000 with one surety to maintain peace during the inquiry.

Bora’s plea calls the notice vague and factually incorrect, arguing that it provides no concrete material showing a likelihood of breach of peace. She contends that using preventive powers this way threatens constitutional protections for free expression, peaceful assembly and personal liberty under Articles 19 and 21 of the Indian Constitution.