New Delhi: Ahead of Republic Day, the Centre has urged people not to use national flags made of plastic and asked the states and Union territories to ensure strict compliance with the flag code.

In an advisory to the states and Union territories, the Union home ministry said the national flag represents the hopes and aspirations of the people of the country and so should occupy a position of honour.

The ministry said it had been brought to its notice that during important events, national flags made of plastic were being used in place of paper flags.

As plastic flags are not biodegradable like paper flags, they do not get decomposed for a long time and ensuring appropriate disposal commensurate with the dignity of the Tricolour is a practical problem, the advisory said.

According to Section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, "whoever in any public place or in any other place within public view burns, mutilates, defaces, defiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon or otherwise shows disrespect to or brings into contempt (whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts) the Indian National Flag or any part thereof, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

The advisory said that on important national, cultural and sports events, only flags made of paper would have to be used and such flags must not be discarded or thrown on the ground after the programme.

The paper flags will have to be disposed of in private, consistent with the dignity of the Tricolour.

The states and Union territories should widely publicise the advisory against the use of plastic flags, including giving ads in the electronic and print media.

The state governments, Union territories and secretaries of all ministries and departments have been told to ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the Flag Code of India, 2002, and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.

There is universal affection and respect for and loyalty to the national flag, but a perceptible lack of awareness is often noticed amongst the people as well as government organisations on laws, practices and conventions that apply to the "display of the national flag", the advisory said. PTI