New Delhi:

In Keragodu village of Karnataka’s Mandya, an issue over a Hanuman flag has led to political confrontations, protests, and police intervention. The incident happened final week when a bunch of males erected a 108-foot flagpole and raised a Hanuman flag.

The village panchayat had granted permission for the set up of the flagpole, however complaints had been filed towards it, prompting officers to request the elimination of the Hanuman flag. Villagers, nonetheless, stood agency of their choice, accusing a number of people of making an attempt to politicise the matter.  A big police contingent was deployed, and members of the BJP, JD(S), and Bajrang Dal joined villagers in protesting towards the elimination.

Protests escalated on Saturday when villagers closed their retailers in defiance. Yesterday, Gram Panchayat officers visited the village to take away the flag, resulting in a gathering of villagers chanting slogans of ‘Go Back’ in protest towards the officers.

The controversy took a political flip when banners of native Congress MLA Ravi Kumar had been vandalised through the protests. In response, police presence was heightened within the area, anticipating additional unrest.

BJP leaders and Hindu activists strongly condemned the elimination of the flag. The BJP introduced plans to carry protests in all districts of Karnataka, with a particular protest scheduled at Mysuru Bank Circle in Bengaluru at the moment.

To quell the unrest, police resorted to lathi cost and changing the Hanuman flag with the nationwide flag on the flagpole. Official sources revealed that the flag submit’s set up was funded by residents of Keragodu and 12 neighboring villages, with the lively involvement of BJP and JD(S) employees.

Opposition events criticised the Congress-led authorities for the police intervention, with BJP chief R Ashoka condemning the federal government’s “anti-Hindu stance.” He argued that the Hanuman flag was raised with the gram panchayat’s approval, questioning the sudden elimination by the Congress authorities.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah responded to the state of affairs, expressing concern {that a} ‘bhagwa dwaja’ (saffron flag) had been raised as a substitute of the nationwide flag. 

“It is not right. I have asked (the authorities concerned) to hoist the national flag.” 

The District In-charge Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy clarified that the flagpole’s location falls beneath the panchayat’s jurisdiction, and permission was initially obtained for hoisting the nationwide flag on Republic Day.

“There may be politics behind it (the installation of the Hanuman flag replacing the National Flag). I don’t know who is behind it …This country works under democracy and the Constitution. Tomorrow they may say they want to hoist the flag (saffron flag) in front of the DC’s office. Can it be allowed? If it is permitted at one place, it will extend to other places. This is the only reservation,” he stated.

“We are not here to hurt our youth. I have spoken to officials, police and youths. We are ready to install the Hanuman flag at a private place or near a temple. We will support them. We too are Rama Bhaktas,” he added.