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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) workers started a 'padyatra' (protest rally) from the Keragodu village to the District Collector's office on Monday following the removal of a saffron flag hoisted on a 108-foot flagpole in the village.
The BJP and the JDS are allies in the National Democratic Alliance. Meanwhile, security has been heightened and Section 144 has been imposed in the village as tensions prevailed in Keragodu. Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) prohibits the gathering of four or more people in a specified area. Former Village Panchayat vice president, Virupaksha said that when the "request letter" was written, it was mentioned that the flagpole would also be used for religious purposes. "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 would also use this for religious purposes. What we are requesting is to permit us to hoist the saffron flag," Virupaksha said. In his response CM Siddaramiah on Sunday said that it was not right to hoist the Bhagwa flag insted of the Indian flag. Accusing the BJP of plotting against the state government by intimidating people in the village, the Chief Minister said, "It is no accident that the Hanuman flag is hoisted where the national flag should have been hoisted, deliberately violating the rules and protesting against the government." "This incident is a pre-arranged act of the BJP and Sangh Parivar. Such a situation has been created with the intention of systematically raising the people against the state government. There is no doubt that the plot to create communal riots in Mandya is a preparation for the Lok Sabha elections by the BJP leaders," Siddaramaiah claimed. The Chief Minister said that his government is committed to maintaining peace and order in society. "We are not against any particular caste, religion, or community. Our stand is pro-constitutional. People should not make the mistake of following the words of BJP leaders and taking legal action. It is the duty of all of us to respect the Constitution and the law," he asserted. "The opposition parties are playing politics regarding the eviction of Hanumadhwaja in a village in Mandya district. It is not right to hoist the Bhagwa dhwaja instead of hoisting the flag of India. According to the rules, it is not allowed to fly any other flag on the flagpole where the national flag should be flown" the Chief Minister said. Meanwhile, former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai accused the state government of indulging in appeasement politics. Bommai alleged that the law and order situation has deteriorated in the state and those involved in illegal activities were getting protection. "The government got the Hanuman flag removed through the police officers. While Chief Minister Siddaramaiah chants the mantra of "Sarva Janangada Shanthiya Thota", the law and order situation had deteriorated. Many incidents had been reported during the Pran Pratishthapan of Lord Ram Lalla last week. Some persons had been arrested. This has been happening everywhere. The government is playing appeasement politics and giving protection to people involved in nefarious activities," Bommai said speaking to reporters. Sri Gourishankar Seva Trust of the village, which had received permission from the Gram Panchayat to hoist the national flag and the Kannada flag, hoisted the saffron flag in violation of the conditions. The situation escalated as protestors voiced their discontent against the removal. Sangh Parivar workers, secular Janata Dal and BJP workers opposed it. (ANI)
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