IN NATIONAL CAPITAL TOO, IT’S THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA & NOT PM WHO UNFURLS TRICOLOUR ON RAJPATH
EVEN NARENDRA MODI WHILST BEING CM OF GUJARAT USE TO ATTEND STATE LEVEL FUNCTION OF GOVERNOR ON REPUBLIC DAY
CHANDIGARH, 21 JAN: Since past many years rather than decades, the Chief Ministers and as well as all Ministers, and a Speaker and Deputy Speaker of State Assemblies/Legislatures too, of certain states in the country including in the twin States of Haryana and Punjab have been unfurling National Flag on the occasion of Republic Day means 26th January every year at District Level official functions organized across these States notwithstanding the fact that in the National Capital of Delhi, it is not the Head of Government i.e. the Prime Minister (PM) of India but the Constitutional Head viz. the Head of the State i.e. the President of India who unfurls the Tricolour on Rajpath and then takes salute of the parade.
An Advocate at Punjab and Haryana High Court, Hemant Kumar strongly asserts that evan otherwise, since Republic Day commemorates the commencement of Constitution of India, only Constitutional Head of the State means the President of India at the Centre and Governors in the States ought to unfurl the National Flag in lieu of Prime Minister and Chief Ministers/Ministers who otherwise use to hoist the Tricolour on the occasion of 15th August Independence Day.
Hemant further told that till the year 1974, on both Independence Day and Republic Day, it was only the State Governor who use to hoist/unfurl the National Flag both of Independence Day/Republic Day respectively but when then CM of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi wrote to then PM Indira Gandhi exhorting her that State CMs should too be granted a right to hoist National Flag, then Central Government decided that on the occasion of Independence Day, the State CM would hoist the Tricolour while on Republic Day, State Governor would unfurl the National Flag.
However, it is ironic that this protocol is not being followed in all States of the country including Haryana and Punjab. Hemant recalls that even PM Narendra Modi when he was Gujarat CM from Oct, 2001 to May, 2014, he too use to attend the State Level Republic Day functions of State Governor only where the latter use to unfurl the National Flag and Modi as CM of Gujarat use to escort him and stand by the side of Governor.