A day after the saffron flag, flying from the 108-ft flagstaff on government ground in Keragodu village in Mandya district, was replaced with the national flag, the BJP took out a padayatra from the village to the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Mandya.
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Govt. stand
The government has cited rules that do not allow any flag other than the national flag to be flown on government land. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said the government was not opposed to any flag, but was following the law of the land and flayed the BJP for trying to whip up communal passions.
On Monday, BJP leaders, including C.T. Ravi, Preetham Gowda, besides former Minister K.C. Narayana Gowda, led the march comprising party workers and activists of Hindutva groups such as Hindu Jagrana Vedike, Bajrang Dal, and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad from Keragodu village to Mandya, a distance of about 12 km.
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Kumaraswamy joins
JD (S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy joined the protesters at the Deputy Commissioner’s office, where a demonstration was held to demand that the saffron flag that had been lowered from the flagpole and replaced with the tricolour be hoisted again. Sporting a saffron shawl, Mr. Kumaraswamy declared his support to the protesters while coming down on the Congress government for its “highhandedness”.
Interestingly, former Minister G. Janardhana Reddy too made a brief appearance at Keragodu from where the padayatra began.
The participants in the padayatra, most of whom sported saffron flags and shawls, shouted “Jai Sriram” slogan during the journey. BJP workers from surrounding regions too turned up for the padayatra. The organisers distributed buttermilk to the participants.
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Security remained tight in Keragodu with deployment of 11 battalions of the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) in addition to the local police. Barricades encircled the flagpole situated on government property while security personnel were posted to ensure that the area remained out of bounds.
Most of the shops around the area remained closed in the morning on Monday when the padayatra began.
Protesters caned
Meanwhile, the police resorted to caning a section of protesters when they tried to tear down the posters and banners sporting photographs of Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Mandya MLA Ravi Kumar Ganiga, when the padayatra entered Mandya.
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The protesters, holding saffron flags, were seen damaging the posters and tearing them down before making a bonfire of them.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Kumaraswamy questioned how the administration, which had lowered the saffron flag by citing rules, permit the display of flex boards and publicity material that had been prohibited. Mr. Ravi too addressed the protesters outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office and criticised the Congress government for lowering the saffron flag.
Later in the evening, Superintendent of Police N. Yatish said the situation was under control and peaceful.