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‘Khalistan flag’ claims widespread since Republic Day violence<\/h4>\n
On January 26, some groups among protestors who gathered for the farmers’ tractor rally veered off the course and were met with police lathi-charge and tear gas. Several demonstrators entered the Red Fort and hoisted flags on the iconic monument.<\/p>\n
The claim that the Khalistani flag was hoisted at the Red Fort has been circulating on social media since the violence. At the time, Alt News had debunked two videos used to claim that the protesters removed the Indian national flag and replaced it with the Khalistani flag on Red Fort. You can read our detailed reports here \u2013 1<\/a> and 2<\/a>.<\/p>\n Soon after, another video of two flags raised below the Indian national flag was shared to further the same claim. The video showed a few protesters on top of the fort hoisting yellow and saffron-coloured flags below the tricolour.<\/p>\n Quote-tweeting the video posted by Twitter handle @rosy_K01, actress Kangana Ranaut had said, “Chatukaar media who is reporting Khalistan flag wasn\u2019t hoisted is lying. Beware of them”. At the time of writing this article, her tweet garnered close to 5,000 retweets. The original tweet has been marked as manipulated media by Twitter.<\/strong><\/p>\n Chatukaar media who is reporting Khalistan flag wasn\u2019t hoisted is lying. Beware of them … https:\/\/t.co\/KMaHgeY06I<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) January 27, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Film director Vivek Agnihotri, often found amplifying misinformation<\/a> on Twitter, posted the same clip and said, “This is the truth which today all kinds of Rajdeeps and Secular gang will try to whitewash. Pl don\u2019t let that happen. Defeat India\u2019s biggest enemies – #UrbanNaxals”. The tweet gathered close to 3,000 retweets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This is the truth which today all kinds of Rajdeeps and Secular gang will try to whitewash. Pl don\u2019t let that happen. Defeat India\u2019s biggest enemies – #UrbanNaxals<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Hz74AtnnpC<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) January 27, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Alt News looked for high-resolution images of the incident on Getty Images<\/a> and found a photograph where the text written over the flag is legible.<\/p>\n YELLOW FLAG<\/strong><\/p>\n We have compared the yellow flag hoisted atop the Red Fort with pictures of the same flag carried during the protests<\/a>. The text inscribed on the flag is ‘\u0a30\u0a3e\u0a1c \u0a15\u0a30\u0a47\u0a17\u0a3e \u0a16\u0a3e\u0a32\u0a38\u0a3e’ (the Khalsa shall rule).<\/p>\n According to The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies<\/a>, ‘\u0a30\u0a3e\u0a1c \u0a16\u0a3e\u0a32\u0a38\u0a47 \u0a15\u0a30\u0a47\u0a17\u0a3e (the Khalsa shall rule)’ is a verse introduced by the tenth Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh. This is a popular verse commonly inscribed on religious flags of the Sikh community. It is also a part of the Ardas (prayer) recited at Gurudwaras.<\/p>\n The complete verse says, “Raj karega khalsa aki rahe nu koi; khwar hoi sub milenge, bache saran jo hoi.” (The Khalsa shall rule, no enemy shall exist, frustrated ones will submit and those seeking shelter shall be protected.)<\/p>\n The verse is used in popular culture. For instance, the text ‘\u0a30\u0a3e\u0a1c \u0a15\u0a30\u0a47\u0a17\u0a3e \u0a16\u0a3e\u0a32\u0a38\u0a3e’ inscribed on a yellow coloured flag was the profile picture of a Twitter user<\/a> last active in July 2018. The same flag was posted on Facebook page ‘\u0a30\u0a3e\u0a1c \u0a15\u0a30\u0a47\u0a17\u0a3e \u0a16\u0a3e\u0a32\u0a38\u0a3e<\/a> (The Khalsa shall rule)’. The verse has also been featured in popular Punjabi songs by Daler Mehndi<\/a> and Diljit Dosanjh<\/a>.<\/p>\n Akali Dal leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa had shared his views on the verse three years ago \u2013 “#RajKaregaKhalsa I will say this thousand times, million times, neither the Supreme Court has banned it nor will it ever be banned.”<\/p>\n #RajKaregaKhalsa<\/a> \u2014 Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) June 25, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n On January 31, Kangana Ranaut tweeted an article by right-wing propaganda website OpIndia<\/a> which alluded that the rectangle shape of the flags deemed them Khalistan flags.<\/p>\n Chacha \u2066@jack<\/a>\u2069 get hold on your communist minions… Every day exposing you … ha ha https:\/\/t.co\/lfWHYOLpKw<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) January 31, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n OpIndia’s article claimed, “As can be seen, there is no consistency in the Khalistan flag, but the Nishan Sahib has always been saffron triangular flag. Whether the yellow rectangle flag without the words \u201cKhalistan\u201d falls under Khalistan flag or the Nishan Sahib, is anybody\u2019s guess.”<\/p>\n “Flags are one of the chief icons of any organised set of human beings – teams, unions, or states. Normally, flags are decided by the people who belong to these organisations or their elected or nominated members. Sometimes, they are accepted through conventions such as for a community, and even nations such as Austria, Latvia, Denmark, others,” he explained.<\/p>\n OpIndia’s claim that Nishan Sahibs are always triangular and saffron doesn’t hold water.<\/p>\n For instance, the shape and colour of the flag in the digital animation video ‘Nishan Sahib<\/a>‘ posted below are rectangular and saffron. The part ‘Raj Karega Khalsa’ of Sikh prayers is playing in the background.<\/p>\n\n
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FACT-CHECK<\/h4>\n
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\n\u201c\u0930\u093e\u091c \u0915\u0930\u0947\u0917\u093e \u0916\u093e\u0932\u0938\u093e\u201d
\n\u092e\u0948\u0902 \u0939\u091c\u093c\u093e\u0930 \u092c\u093e\u0930; \u0932\u093e\u0916 \u092c\u093e\u0930 \u0915\u0939\u0942\u0901\u0917\u093e
\n\u0928 \u0924\u094b \u0938\u0941\u092a\u094d\u0930\u0940\u092e \u0915\u094b\u0930\u094d\u091f \u0928\u0947 \u092f\u0947 \u092c\u0948\u0928 \u0915\u093f\u092f\u093e \u0939\u0948 \u0914\u0930 \u0928 \u092f\u0947 \u0915\u092d\u0940 \u092c\u0948\u0928 \u0939\u094b\u0917\u093e
\n\u0939\u092e \u0905\u0930\u0926\u093e\u0938 \u092e\u0947\u0902 \u092c\u094b\u0932\u0924\u0947 \u0939\u0948 – \u0930\u093e\u091c \u0915\u0930\u0947\u0917\u093e \u0916\u093e\u0932\u0938\u093e; \u0906\u0915\u0940 \u0930\u0939\u0947 \u0928 \u0915\u094b\u0908
\n\u091c\u093f\u0938\u0915\u093e \u092e\u0924\u0932\u092c \u0939\u0948 \u0938\u091a\u094d\u091a\u0947 \u0938\u0941\u091a\u094d\u091a\u0947 (\u0916\u093e\u0932\u0938) \u0932\u094b\u0917 \u0927\u0930\u0924\u0940 \u092a\u0930 \u0930\u093e\u091c \u0915\u0930\u0947\u0902 \u0914\u0930 \u092a\u093e\u092a\u0940 (\u0906\u0915\u0940) \u0932\u094b\u0917\u094b\u0902 \u0915\u093e \u0916\u093c\u093e\u0924\u094d\u092e\u093e \u0939\u094b\u0964 pic.twitter.com\/VsPOqkIxDG<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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However, Khalistani flags seen around the world<\/a> can be only identified if they have “Khalistan” inscribed on them.<\/strong> We contacted Amandeep Sandhu, author of \u2018Panjab: Journeys Through Fault Lines\u2019, who informed us, “There is no legitimate, universally agreed upon Khalistan flag. Some make it rectangular, some triangular. All they do is write the word Khalistan on the Sikh flag.”<\/p>\n