As a mark of respect to Union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who died Tuesday, the government announced the national flag will fly at half mast on Tuesday in New Delhi and all state capitals on all buildings where it is regularly flown.
On Wednesday, however, the flag will fly at full mast everywhere. A home ministry spokesperson said the Flag Code on India mandated that if intimation of the death of any dignitary was received in the afternoon, the flag would be flown at half mast the following day as well.
“However, in the event the next day coincides with Independence Day, Republic Day or Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, the flag shall not be flown at half mast on that day, except on the building where the body of the dignitary is kept till it is removed. The flag will be raised to full mast after the body is removed.”