Security measures have been intensified in Karnataka's Keragodu village after the Congress's anti-Hindu state government pulled down a Hanuman flag from a 108-foot pole.
Tension has been high after some individuals filed complained about the matter. The situation worsened after the Police employed a lathi charge on Hindus who were protesting against the government's action.
What is the Issue?
The p
eople of Kergody and 12 neighbouring villages had collected money for the installation of the flag. On the ocassion of ram lalla pran pratishtha and to celebrate the event, the villagers after taking the permission of the Panchayat, raised saffron flag featuring Hanuman’s image. However, according to the report's this irked some individuals who then filed a complaint with the administration of the same.
Acting on which the taluk panchayat executive officer directed the gram panchayat officials to remove the flag. Mandya Superintendent of Police claimed that the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Gram Panchayat, Sheikh Tanveer Asif made the decision to pull down the flag and the inhabitants of the village objected to it. According to the CEO of Mandya District Panchayat, the trust had asked for authorisation to put up a pole to fly the flag of the country.
Following the orders, Police on the night of 27th of January, came to pull down the flag. However, several villagers, including a significant number of women, vehemently protested against the removal. Certain protesters directed their anger towards the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government and Mandya Congress MLA Ganiga Ravikumar, chanting slogans against them.
Refusing to relent, they affixed a flex board featuring a portrait of Lord Ram along with a smaller saffron flag at the base of the flagpole. Attempts to resist removal were made when the police intervened, and slogans of “Jai Sri Ram, Jai Hanuman” filled the air. Pictures of women confronting the administration and crying devotees also surfaced. People are very angry with the local MLA.
The police employed lathi-charge to drive the locals out after they continued to resist.By late afternoon, police forcibly removed the protesters, once again using a lathi charge to restore order. Following this, police and administration officials raised the Tricolor on the flagpole from which the Hanuman flag had been removed.
The people insisted that they had raised the flag in concert with one another, but the authorities refused to listen to them.
What opposition says?
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah justified the administration’s actions in Mandya where Police pulled down a Hanuman flag from a 108-foot pole. He argued that instead of the saffron flag, the national flag should have been hoisted. Speaking on tensions in Mandya, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said, “It is not right to fly the saffron flag instead of the national flag. They should have hoisted the national flag.”
Meanwhile, the Virupaksha, the f
ormer vice president of the Village Panchayat, explained that the initial “request letter” had outlined the dual purpose of the flagpole for both civic and religious use.He said,“The Chief Minister does not know the reality of this controversy. The officer at the district level has given the wrong information to the Chief Minister.
When we wrote the request letter, we mentioned that we would also use this for religious purposes. What we are requesting is to permit us to hoist the saffron flag.”
BJP reacts
Leader of Opposition and BJP leader R Ashoka slammed the Congress government for the move and described it as “anti-Hindu stance”, stating that the Hanuma dwaja was raised with the gram panchayat's approval."What was the need for police action? Why didn't the administration speak to the villagers? There was a gram panchayat resolution to allow the flag,” he said.
What is current situation?
Section 144 has been imposed in the village since Sunday, accompanied by a substantial deployment of police personnel. Section 144, under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), restricts gatherings of four or more people in a specified area.
The act of removal of Bhagwan Hanuman Dhwaja reflects a troubling trend of disrespect towards Hindu cultural heritage under the Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah led govt.
