PREVENTION OF INSULTS TO NATIONAL HONOUR ACT, 1957

PREVENTION OF INSULTS TO NATIONAL HONOUR ACT, 1957

Preamble - THE PREVENTION OF INSULTS TO NATIONAL HONOUR ACT, 1957

THE PREVENTION OF INSULTS TO NATIONAL HONOUR ACT, 1957

[Act No. 14 of 1957][1]

[18th November, 1957]

PREAMBLE

An Act to prevent insults to National Honour.

Whereas it is expedient and necessary to prevent certain offences against the Indian National Flag, pictures, effigies and statues of the Father of the Nation, or the Constitution of India;

Be it enacted in the Eighth Year of the Republic of India as follows:--

Section 1 - Short title

This Act may be called the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1957.

Section 2 - Burning, etc., of effigy, picture, portrait of Mahatma Gandhi an offence

Whoever wilfully burns or desecrates or insults, any effigy, picture or portrait of Mahatma Gandhi shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years or with fine or with both.

Explanation.--In this section, "picture" includes any print, drawing, painting or other representation, of the figure of Mahatma Gandhi.

Section 3 - Destruction of the statue of Mahatma Gandhi an offence

Whoever wilfully causes damage to, or destruction of, any statue or bust of Mahatma Gandhi or any such change in such statue or bust or in the situation thereof, as destroy or diminish its value or appearance or otherwise affects it injuriously, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years or with fine or with both.

Section 4 - Burnig, etc., of Indian National Flag an offence

Whoever wilfully burns or desecrates or insults the Indian National Flag shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years or with fine or with both.

Explanation. In this section, "Indian National Flag" includes any pictorial representation thereof.

Section 5 - Burning, etc., of the Constitution to be act of offence

Whoever wilfully burns or desecrates or insults any copy or a copy of a part of the Constitution of India, shall be punishable with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years or with fine or with both.

Section 6 - Attempts to be offences

Whoever attempts to commit any offence punishable under this Act shall be deemed to have committed that offence.

Section 7 - Savings

Nothing in this Act shall exempt any person from any proceeding which might, apart from this Act, be brought against him.