Singapore Police Gives ‘Stern Warning’ to Indian for Posting Image of Torn Flag

The Singapore Police has given a ‘Stern Warning’ to an Indian for posting on Facebook an image of the country’s torn flag to reveal the Indian flag underneath.

“Following investigations, the police, in consultation with the Attorney-General’s Chambers, has administered a stern warning,” Channel News Asia quoted the police as saying.

Avijit Das Patnaik, 44, a permanent resident of Singapore, had posted the picture on the Facebook page of the Singapore Indians and Expats group, on Aug. 14, a day before India’s 72nd Independence Day.

The picture showed a black-colored T-shirt with a graphic of the Singaporean flag being ripped apart to reveal the Indian flag underneath. Above the picture were the words, “Phir bhi dil hai… I love you,” as the caption based on the Bollywood film Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani.

The group consisted of around 11,000 members and picture soon became viral on the internet and created outrage among people.

According to the police, Patnaik was investigated under the “Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem Rules” which state that “no person shall treat the flag with disrespect,” reported The Straits Times.

The warning was given to him on Oct.3, which is about two months after a police report was made against him, it added.

After facing criticism, Patnaik deleted the post and said in his defense that he did not design the picture himself but took it from the internet. He added that his intention was to show his love for India and that he never wanted to cause an offense to Singapore.

“I love Singapore deeply and am always singing praises about this country, so my intention was never to cause so much grievance. I just felt that the image represented that deep inside, the heart also beats for our motherland,” Patnaik, who has been living in Singapore for a decade, told the Straits Times.

Development Bank of Singapore (DBS), where he had been working, removed him from its payroll after the outrage erupted over his post. The bank issued a statement later in August saying that Patnaik was no longer associated with them.

Besides Singaporeans, the post was criticized by people of Indian origin as well.