“Hoist The National Flag Instead…”: Karnataka Chief Minister Amid Flag Hoisting Controversy (image-twitter/siddaramaiah)
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday defending the actions of authority’s decision to take down the Hanuman flag which was hoisted in Mandya’s Keragodu, said that the national flag should be hoisted instead of the Hanuman flag at the pole.
“It is not right to fly the saffron flag instead of the national flag. They should have hoisted the national flag,” Siddaramaiah said, reports ANI.
The move has led to massive political controversy. Tension prevailed in the village of Keragodu as the residents called for a ‘bandh’ following the removal of the Hanuman flag.
The village panchayat granted permission to hoist the national flag, while a group of people instead hoisted the Hanuman flag on a 108-foot-tall flagpole. This resulted in discontent among the villagers. The flag was asked to be removed by the village panchayat officials, reports India Today.
The police removed the saffron flag featuring Lord Hanuman and installed the tricolor flag instead. Protesting against the move, the supporters of BJP, JD(S), and Bajrang Dal launched a massive protest. On Sunday morning, they chanted slogans against the chief minister and the Mandya Congress MLA Ganiga Ravikumar.
The police had to use force to clear the area. Mandya district in charge N Cheluvarayaswamy clarified that the flagpole’s location fell under the jurisdiction and permission was only granted to hoist the national flag. “But it was replaced by another flag that evening,” he said.
Opposition leader R Ashoka criticized the government’s move to remove the flag and alleged that they are showing their ‘anti-Hindu stance’.
Karnataka BJP President BY Vijayendra blamed the Congress-led state government for ‘deteriorating law and order of the situation’. “When the Gram Panchayat Board decided to hoist the Hanuman flag on a 108-foot-high flagpole in the village of Keragodu in Mandya district, the state government showed the audacity to bring down the flag through the police force”.
