The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1957

 

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The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1957 
 

Act 14 of 1957 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Keyword(s): 
Picture, Portrait, Mahatama Gandhi, Constitution 
 



'[TAMIL NADU] ACT No. X l ' i  01.' 19573. 

(Received the csse:rt of the Govcrrror on the l'ltlt November 
1957 ; firs! puJl/ished in the Fort St. George Gazette 
on th? 18tlt Novcnl;ber 1957,) 

An Act to prevent insults to NatiorzaX Honour. 
I 

! WHERSAS it is expedient, and necessary to prevent certain 
,J offences against the Indian Hat ionat Flags pictures, 

affigies and statues of the Father of the Nation, or the 
Constitution of ladicr ; 

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

Short ttrIe. 1. This Act m y  be called tlre Prevention of Insults 
to National Honour Act, 1957. 

Burning, 2. ''Thoever wilfi~lly bums or desecrates or insults, 
etc.9 of an-, effigy, picture or portrait of Mallatnla Oandhi 

shall be punished with imprisonment of either descri- . picture, 
of ption for term wllich inay extend to illreg years or with 

Mahatma fine or wltll botlr. 
aandhi an 

ozence. Expluitat~t~~z.---.-In +his scct i r ) ~ ~ ,  " piclure" irtcludcs any print, dwwi:xg, painting or other representation, of 
the figure of Mabatmil Gandhi, 

Destruction 3. Whoever wilfully causes damage to, or destruction 
~ f t h ~  of, any statue or bust of Mallatmd Gandhi or any such 

a ,  
. : Mahatma """ Of change in such statue or bust or in the situation , thereof, 
Gandhi  an'^^ destroy or diminish its value or appearance or other- 

offence. wise affects it injuriously, shaU be punished with imprisoB 
ment of either des-scripticn for a term which may extend 
to three years or with fine cr with both. 
-I-- - - _ -  -.--lll-_v. .- -- --_ 

1 These words were substituted for thu  word ''Madras" by bythe 
Tamil Nadu Adaptation of Ldws Qrdcr, 1969, as amended by the 
Tamif Nadu Adapt~.tioa of Laws (Second Amendment) Order, 
1969. 

t 2For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Fort Sf. George 
Gazette, Part IV-,i, Extraordinary, dated the 6th November 1957, 

. page 132. 
This Act was extended to the added territories by section 3 of, 

and the First Schedule to, the Tamil Nadu (Added Territories) 
Extension of Laws (No. 2) Act, 1961 (Tamil Wadu Act 39 of ,l9411 - repealing the corresponding law inforce in thoxt. territsli~~, 



*Y3 1- : 1dT. ncc 6 1  r J A , .c,.rrv. . vJ - . - .. . - 
National Honour. 

4. Whoever wilfully bums or desxsates or insults Burning 
mc of the Indian National Flag shall be punished with impri- hi;an 

sonment of either description for a term which m a y ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ l  
extend to three years or with fine or with both. Flag ar 

offence. 
Explanation.--In this section,. "Indian ' Narional 

Flag" includes any pictorial representation .e . thereof. . 

5. Whoever wilfully burns or desecrates or insults any Burning 
copy or a copy of a part of the, Constitution of "India, e t c * 9 ~ f  the Constitution shall be punishable with imprisonment of either descri- ,, be act 
ption for a term which may extend to three years ' or of offence. 
with fine or with both, 

6. Whoever attempts to commit any offence punish- c::pts 
able .under this Act shall be deemed to have 'committed ofiencea 
that offence. I 

7. Nothing in this Act shall exempt any person from S a v i ~ ~ .  
any proceeding which mi,ght, aspart from this Act, be 
brought against him.