A 36-year-old resident of Kanpur was arrested for unfurling the Pakistani flag on his terrace on Friday.
Chandrapal Singh (36) from Sisamau area was arrested after an FIR under sections 124-A (Sedition) and 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) of the IPC was filed against him.
Chandrapal says his actions were calculated and premeditated. He was motivated to catch the public's attention so that they may recognise his protest against the government and district administration that were not paying any heed to his complaints of excessive house, electricity and water bills.
"Chandrapal has admitted to hoisting Pakistani flag. A case under Section 153 (a) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against him while the flag has been seized," Seesamau Brahmanand Yadav station house officer was quoted saying to the Times of India.
Fed up with the Kanpur Nagar Nigam's house and water tax, which he claimed to be "bogus", Chandrapal, a self-proclaimed jyotishacharya (astrologer), decided to take the extreme step.
"The accused said he hoisted the flag out of sheer frustration. He claimed he had been making rounds of the offices of Nagar Nigam, Jalkal Vibhag, district magistrate for eight years besides tweeting to senior officials and ministers demanding an immediate solution for his tax woes, but all his pleas had fallen on deaf ears," said station officer Seesamau Dharmendra Singh, adding that Chandrapal has been sent to jail.
After members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal staged a demonstration outside Chandrapal's house, the local police took suo motto cognisance of the matter.
