Protest over the removal of the Hanuman flag by police on 27th January night in Karnataka’s Mandya district has led to major tension in the area. Last week, youngsters of Keragodu village 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.
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 employed 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.
The residents charged that certain individuals were attempting to politicise the matter. The villagers gathered on the place as the panchayat officials arrived to remove the flag. They held a demonstration against the government and chanted “go back” slogans. Meanwhile. security was stepped up in view of the escalating issue. The flag was taken off by the cops and people have been revolting against Congress MLA Ravi Kumar since then. His banners were broken. The agitators have called for a bandh (shutdown). Stores were voluntarily closed down in opposition. People began preparing food on the main thoroughfare and utilised the banners of Ravi Kumar to light a fire.
People wanted to hoist the flag while the police wanted to hoist the tricolor on the pole which led to the dispute. Some have accused the politician of being behind the whole affair. Workers of Bajrang Dal, Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal (Secular) were also present there and are persistently demonstrating as well as calling for the saffron flag to be hoisted again. Pictures of women confronting the administration and crying devotees also surfaced. People are very angry with the local MLA.
Mandya Superintendent of Police claimed that the chief executive officer (CEO) Sheikh Tanveer Asif of the Gram Panchayat 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. Permission to fly the national flag on government property was granted in accordance with protocol, but thereafter a saffron flag was raised in its place which has been taken down legally and everything is under control.