The handling of the Tricolour by police was the focus of attention at Eden Gardens for the second day on Sunday.

Policemen on duty at the Club House gate took away the Tricolour from spectators in the morning, citing “orders from superiors”. Police commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakrabarti told Metro later that the restriction applied “only to the lower tier, just above the Club House sightscreen”. Spectators were allowed in with flags after lunch.

On Saturday, a policeman was caught on camera flinging the national flag to the ground after snatching it from a spectator.

“Why isn’t the Tricolour ban mentioned on the ticket?” asked Abinash Chanda from Triangular Park, after his flag was confiscated at the gate. “Take it back while leaving,” a policeman responded, while folding the flag and keeping it on a chair. He claimed flags were not allowed in the Club House even on Saturday.

Inspector Swapan Chakrabarty, posted at the Club House gate, said the batsmen had faced problems on the first day of the Test because of flags being waved above the Club House sightscreen.

Commissioner Chakrabarti said: “There is a restriction on waving flags only on the Club House lower tier, and that too, just above the sightscreen. Match referee Ranjan Madugalle asked us to ensure that the batsmen did not face problems because of flags fluttering above the sightscreen. Spectators can wave flags anywhere else on the ground, including other parts of the Club House.”

He admitted that there was a “mistake” in the enforcement of the bar.