Tension in Karnataka’s Mandya after district officials remove saffron flag
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah says ‘it is not right to fly the saffron flag instead of the national flag’.
Tensions rose after the Mandya district administration removed a saffron flag hoisted on a 108-ft-tall Hanuman dhwaja flagpole in a village. (Express photo) Tension prevailed in Karnataka’s Mandya on Sunday after the district administration removed a saffron flag hoisted on a 108-ft-tall Hanuman dhwaja flagpole in a village, leading to the Opposition BJP and the ruling Congress trading charges against each other.
“Ahead of the Ram temple inauguration in Ayodhya, BJP and JD(S) workers collected money and installed a 108-ft flagpole and hoisted a saffron flag with pictures of Hanuman in Keragodu village on January 19. However, a section of people filed a complaint with the taluk administration and local officials were given a direction to remove it,” a local source said.
As the district administration came to remove the flag on Sunday morning, people from surrounding villages and right-wing activists protested raising slogans against Mandya Congress MLA Ganiga Ravikumar and the officials.
Police resorted to mild lathicharge following a heated exchange of words between them and the protesters, and the flag was removed from the pole in the presence of Assistant Commissioner Shivamurthy and Tahsildar Shivakumar.
Some protesters blocked the Mandya-Yediyur state highway by setting fire to tyres on the road.
Earlier, taluk officials tried to remove the saffron flag on Saturday midnight but had to return following similar protests.
Leader of the Opposition R Ashok condemned the officials’ act. “The Congress is against Ram and the Hanuman temple. They are doing this because of the Parliamentary election. They did this during the Ram temple inauguration also. I strongly oppose this. I will go to Mandya and protest. The Congress is provoking Hindus,” he said.
Even as the BJP leader is scheduled to visit the village, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, “It is not right to fly the saffron flag instead of the national flag.”
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