Taliban flag goes up in Chennai's Chess Olympiad venue

Chennai: Though they were designated the former tricolour flag of the erstwhile Afghanistan republic government, Afghan players participating in the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai were seen brandishing the Taliban white flag.

The matter came to light Sunday when Ahmadullah Wasiq, director general of the National Radio and Television, Afghanistan, tweeted a photo of one of the team members posing at the venue with the Taliban's flag.

“Players from 199 countries including Afghanistan have gathered for the games in India. Wherever the players are, the white flag of Afghanistan is displayed in an important and conspicuous place at the door,” tweeted Wasiq, who is also the acting director for intelligence and deputy head of the cultural commission of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

He also said that this “shows the good relations between the two countries (India and Afghanistan)”.

The tweet and photo were widely circulated on social media platforms.