The Hanuman flag removal controversy which recently erupted in Karnataka, is now spreading to other parts of the state. Following the removal of a Hanuman flag hoisted on a 108-foot pole put up by locals using their own money in the Mandya district, green flags have been placed in different areas. On Thursday (1st February), locals in Chikkaballapur city lodged a complaint with authorities, demanding that the green flag be removed from a flag post near Doddabhajame Mane. Subsequently, the officials visited the location and directed the responsible parties to remove the green flag.
Meanwhile, several BJP leaders have sought the removal of a half-moon and star structure erected on Kolar’s iconic Clock Tower.
Taking to X, Kodagu-Mysore BJP MP Pratap Simha has also urged the authorities to remove the green flag from Mysuru city. “Thanks to the Mysore district administration, but why did you remove one flag and leave another one next to it? Do I have to come to the place myself? Don’t you see another flag at Kailaspuram, 4th Main Road, Ambedkar Park, Srinivasa Temple Road?” Simha posted.
ಮೈಸೂರು ಜಿಲ್ಲಾಡಳಿತಕ್ಕೆ ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು, ಆದ್ರೆ ಒಂದು ಬಾವುಟ ತೆಗೆದು ಪಕ್ಕದಲ್ಲೇ ಇನ್ನೊಂದನ್ನೇಕೆ ಬಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದೀರಿ? ನಾನೇ ಸ್ಥಳಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದು ತೋರಿಸಬೇಕಾ? ಕೈಲಾಸ್ ಪುರಂ, 4 ನೇ ಮುಖ್ಯರಸ್ತೆ, ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕರ್ ಪಾರ್ಕ್, ಶ್ರೀನಿವಾಸ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ ರಸ್ತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಧ್ವಜವಿರುವುದು ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲವೇ? pic.twitter.com/mdzSPu3l5q
— Pratap Simha (@mepratap) January 31, 2024
On Tuesday (30th January), a green flag was seen in the Shivajinagar area of Bengaluru. The appearance of the green flag triggered an outrage in the area with BJP leaders like Basanagouda R Patil Yatnal seeking the removal of the flag. Yatnal even called the green flag similar to that of Pakistan.
“Hon @CPBlr @DCPEASTBCP Is it not against our flag code to fly a green flag similar to the color of an enemy country in a public area? Immediately, remove this and fly the national flag here. Shivajinagar is in India, not Pakistan,” BJP leader Basanagouda R Patil Yatnal posted on X.
ಮಾನ್ಯ @CPBlr @DCPEASTBCP ಅವರೇ, ಈ ರೀತಿ ಶತ್ರು ದೇಶದ ಬಣ್ಣವನ್ನು ಹೋಲುವ ಹಸಿರು ಧ್ವಜವನ್ನು ಸಾರ್ವಜನಿಕ ಪ್ರದೇಶದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾರಿಸುವುದು ನಮ್ಮ flag code ಗೆ ವಿರುದ್ದವಾದದ್ದಲ್ಲವೇ ? ಈ ಕೂಡಲೇ, ಇದನ್ನು ತೆಗೆದು ಇಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಧ್ವಜವನ್ನು ಹಾರಿಸಿ. ಶಿವಾಜಿನಗರ ಇರುವುದು ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ, ಪಾಕಿಸ್ತಾನದಲ್ಲಲ್ಲ https://t.co/Ln6mx86Erd
— Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) (@BasanagoudaBJP) January 30, 2024
Bajrang Dal to launch Hanuman Dhwaj campaign in Mandya
The Bajrang Dal has reportedly announced that the Hanuman Dhwaj campaign in Mandya will begin on Friday. Earlier, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) declared that the saffron flag campaign would be carried out across the state, with flags being hoisted atop all houses. The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has also urged locals in Keragodu and a dozen surrounding villages to put up Hanuman flags on their homes. The BJP said that it wants the villagers to hoist the saffron flag “to send a message to the government.”
Meanwhile, Samana Manaskara Vedike has called a bandh in Mandya on 7th February. The Bajrang Dal has proposed a bandh in Mandya district on 9th February to protest the removal of the Hanuman flag. The BJP unit has recently held a state-wide bandh.
Reports say that to prevent any untoward incidents, more than 200 police officers have been sent to Keragodu village in Mandya district, where the dispute began. The village will continue to have prohibitory orders in place.
On Wednesday, a delegation of BJP leaders visited Kergodu village in Mandya and met with people injured in the police lathicharge. They organised a meeting with village headmen and panchayat members to discuss the next steps in the campaign.
Congress government has turned into ‘British Raj’ says BJP
According to a New Indian Express report, BJP leader Ashok Jairam stated that the party delegation interacted with villagers, panchayat members, and Gowrishankar Seva Trust members. He claimed that the police mistreated the residents and that officers did not have enough time to organise a peace meeting in the community. Jairam alleged that the Congress government has devolved into the British Raj, picking an underage boy for interrogation in the early hours, terrifying women and children.
Anand, a Gowrishankara Seva Trust member, stated that all of the village’s residents supported hoisting the Hanuman flag atop the 108-foot flagpost, but certain vested interests are dividing them. The district administration breached the flag code by hoisting a national flag that was disproportionate to the size of the flagpole, he said. “We had taken Siddaramaiah in a procession of 101 bullocks to inaugurate the Kannada Rajyotsava celebration in Keragodu. But he has forgotten Keragodu. The district administration should hold peace meetings and set right the lapses. We want the case handed over to the CBI. “We seek justice and peace,” he continued.
On Wednesday, Keragodu Panchayat member Shivanand reportedly backed by Congress urged that a peace meeting be called for communal harmony ahead of the Shivratri festival. Shivanand said that the villagers celebrate Shivratri in a grand fashion and do not want the recent incidents to cast a shadow over it. “The request to put up a flag post came before the panchayat and it was approved unanimously at the meeting. The panchayat chief executive officer came to the village after the flag was hoisted, and the members told her that the panchayat had approved the request of the villagers. Although members sought a week to hold a peace meeting, the panchayat chief executive officer did not give time and asked them about the need to bring down the flag on a holiday,” Shivanand said.
As reported earlier, tensions erupted in the region over the removal of the Hanuman flag by police on the 27th of January night in Karnataka’s Mandya district. Prior to this, youths of Keragodu village had erected a 108-foot pole and hoisted a saffron flag bearing the image of Lord Hanuman near a Ram temple with permission from the village Panchayat. However, some villagers did not like this and complained about the matter.
It was reported that the people of Keragodu and 12 neighbouring villages had collected money for the installation of the flag. Additionally, BJP and JD(S) workers were also actively involved in this initiative.
Earlier, the villagers had gathered at the place as the panchayat officials arrived to remove the flag. They held a demonstration against the government and chanted “go back” slogans.
The people insisted that they had raised the flag in concert with one another, but the authorities refused to listen to them. A protest broke out when the village panchayat took down the flag. The police resorted to lathi charge to drive the locals out after they continued to resist. Hindus had been gathering there since the previous evening and on 28th January the environment grew more intense.
Mandya Superintendent of Police claimed that the chief executive officer (CEO) Sheikh Tanveer Asif of the Gram Panchayat decided to pull down the flag and the village residents objected to it. CEO Asif claimed that permission was sought to hoist a national flag, however, a saffron flag was hoisted instead adding that it was thus removed legally.
Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah justified the administration’s actions in the matter. 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.”
