The Supreme Court today (July 22) refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that challenged political parties for using flags resembling the Indian tricolour but featuring party symbols instead of the Ashoka Chakra.
A bench led by Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, alongside Justices AG Masih and K Vinod Chandran, heard the plea filed by a petitioner appearing in person. The petitioner argued that political parties — notably the Indian National Congress — have long used flags styled after the national flag in their political campaigns, replacing the Ashoka Chakra with their own symbols.
The petitioner claimed that this practice violated the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, which aims to safeguard the dignity of national symbols, including the flag.

During the brief hearing, the CJI was disinclined to entertain the plea, remarking, “Since when are they doing it? Some parties are doing it before Independence,” before dismissing the matter.
The plea specifically named the Indian National Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), and Nationalist Congress Party as respondents. The Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Union of India were also arrayed as official respondents in the case.
This dismissal comes amid broader debates over the use of national symbols in political messaging but makes clear the Court’s reluctance to intervene on this issue at present.