India’s Delhi police received complaints regarding a flag on the other side of the world.
An Indian advocate filed a complaint against Vincent Xavier Friday, Times Now reports. Xavier waved India’s national flag Wednesday amidst the mob on the U.S. Capitol.
According to The Quint, the complainant, Deepak K. Singh, seeks legal action against Xavier under India’s Prevention of Insults to National Honor Act.
“I request the Delhi Police to investigate the matter. I have no personal grudge against [Xavier], but this is an insult to the country and its national flag. This is a case of treason,” Singh said, Times Now reports. “I request Facebook and Twitter to suspend the account of Vincent Xavier. I request the government to take note of this development.”
According to The Quint, Xavier carried the Indian flag as a way to prove America’s tolerance.
“There is nothing to be ashamed of, we are celebrating our diversity,” Xavier said, The Quint reports. “The world has to know that America is not the racist country it is portrayed as. That the Republican party is not White supremacist. If they were racist, they would not allow me to carry the Indian flag. It was actually showing more respect.”
“I consider this as my solemn responsibility to be a spokesperson for Indian Americans in the Republican Party,” Xavier added.
The Wednesday mob paraded a wide variety of flags. According to Quartz, flags at the protest represented a wide variety of nations, including Cuba, Israel, South Korea and South Vietnam.
“It’s unclear why many of these flags appeared, though a number of the White supremacist and militia groups that were present have international chapters,” the article reports.
The presence of various flags was alarming, contributing to the image of a large, unified front, Laura Scofield said, according to Quartz.
“They’re powerful because they’re visible symbols of our identity,” Scofield, a member of the North American Vexillological Association, said. “More than a cardboard sign, flags are dynamic. They communicate ideas quickly…”
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