Nothing black allowed at PM's Pune event: Guests told to take off masks, socks, shirt

People who came to an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Pune on Sunday were asked to remove black masks, black socks and in some cases black shirts.

The move was apparently to avoid any black flags protests at the PM's event at the MIT College in Pune, where he inaugurated several developmental projects.

Speaking on the issue, Pune police commissioner Amitabh Gupta said instructions had been issued to not allow black flags.

"There must be some confusion as the instruction was about black flags and black pieces of cloth, not about clothes," he said.

Journalist Mangesh Phalle, who covered the event, said he was asked to remove his black-coloured mask by those on security detail at the venue, PTI has reported.

Earlier in the day, Congress and NCP workers had protested against the PM visit with black flags on roads.

The Prime Minister was in the city on a one-day visit during which he inaugurated a stretch of the metro rail, a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, a gallery dedicated to legendary cartoonist RK Laxman and the golden jubilee celebrations of Symbiosis University.