Odisha High Court Reserves Judgment on PIL Alleging Misuse of National Symbols
Cuttack, Nov 20: The Odisha High Court has reserved its judgment in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning repeated misuse of national symbols, including the Ashoka Pillar and the motto Satyameva Jayate.
The PIL, filed by Elon Trust, highlighted instances where the Ashoka Pillar was displayed without the mandatory inscription of Satyameva Jayate and cases of distorted representation of the emblem.
Petitioners argued that such acts amount to disrespect and have become frequent due to government inaction.
During hearings before Chief Justice Harish Tandon and Justice Manas Ranjan Pathak, senior advocates Manoj Kumar Mishra and Subir Palit, appointed as amicus curiae, submitted a detailed report.
The report referenced rulings from Karnataka and Madras High Courts and recommended strict enforcement measures to curb misuse.
Key proposals included awareness campaigns through print, electronic, and social media, public announcements warning against violations, assigning monitoring responsibilities to district collectors and SPs, and introducing curriculum changes in schools to instill respect for national symbols.
The High Court has now concluded hearings and reserved its verdict, which could set a precedent for stronger protection of national symbols in Odisha and across India.
