Following a meeting with Karnal officials, members of the organizing committee decided...

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Following a meeting with Karnal officials, members of the organizing committee decided...

Digital Desk: A tricolour effigy of Ravana sparked outrage in the Karnal district of Haryana on Dussehra. The garment, designed by artisans of the Gharaunda Ramlila Committee for Ravan Dahan (the ceremony of burning), had to be changed after a big crowd assembled to protest the unusual dress.

Committee spokesperson Manish Gupta, first denied the allegations, arguing that the white stripe running through the middle of the effigy was actually silver and only seemed white (similar to the tricolour) when viewed from a distance. However, in response to increasing public outrage, the Ramlila committee admitted that the charges were factual.

Following a meeting with Karnal officials, members of the organizing committee decided on an immediate do-over ahead of the evening's event.

As the word spread quickly and the demand mounted, a new "dress" was designed for the Ravan effigy.

"Whoever in any public place or in any other place within public view burns, mutilates, defaces, defiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon or 1 [otherwise shows disrespect to or brings] into contempt (whether by words, either spoken or written, or by acts) the Indian National Flag or the Constitution of India or any part thereof, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both," Section 2 of ‘The Prevention of insults to National Honour Act, 1971’ states.

Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, represents the platitudinous triumph of "good over evil" or "truth over falsehoods," and the Haryana episode was a fitting metaphor for that spirit. Mayor Renu Bala and MP Sanjay Bhatia were invited for Ravan Dahan.