Bhubaneswar: The discovery of a Pakistani flag on the main road at Rupali Square in Bhubaneswar on Sunday late evening created public resentment in the capital city.
Stickers with Pakistani national flags were found on a busy road despite traffic police presence, raising questions how such action missed the police eye.
Official sources said local authorities have started investigating to find out the perpetrators and unravel their motives. Police are scrutinising CCTV footage and enquiring with local residents to get plausible leads. There is no clarity yet, as the police have not released an official statement though the patch of area was later painted black.
The incident comes close on the heels of the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 26 tourists were killed sparking nationwide anger against terrorism allegedly perpetrated by Pakistan.
On Friday, Bajrang Dal activists in Karnataka’s Kalaburagi protested the terror attack by pasting large stickers of the Pakistani flag on roads. These were later removed by cops, who also too a few people into preventive arrest for interrogation.
Meanwhile, two Pakistani citizens, including Nagma Yusuf, left Odisha on Sunday after being served ‘Leave-India’ notice with the Union government pushing for deportation of all Pakistani nationals. Yusuf had been residing in Bhubaneswar since 2008 following her marriage to an Indian national. Yusuf’s visa expired in 2024 and received no renewal from authorities.