Mandya: Police Remove Controversial Saffron Flag from Village Temple Flagpole

The saffron flag, which was hoisted on a 108-foot tall flagpole newly constructed near the village temple, has been removed by the police with utmost caution.

It has been reported that the flag was hoisted by the Sri Gaurishankar Seva Trust, which had obtained permission from the Gram Panchayat to hoist the national flag and the Kannada flag.

The incident had sparked opposition from the local residents and members of various political parties, including the Janata Dal (S) and the BJP after the district administration, led by the taluk panchayat executive officer Veena, had planned a religious procession on Saturday. However, the situation turned tense when the flag was being hoisted.

The police had to intervene to maintain law and order. Despite their efforts, the protesters could not be pacified. They disrupted the traffic on the road and staged a protest against the district administration.

What is the controversy?

On December 24, the Sri Gaurishankar Seva Trust had submitted an application to the Gram Panchayat, requesting permission to construct a flagpole in the premises of the temple and hoist a tricolor flag, as part of their active involvement in religious, social, educational, and cultural activities in the village. They had also mentioned that they would hoist a tri-color flag and the Karnataka emblem on the flagpole, in accordance with the Gram Panchayat’s regulations.

In the following days, it was decided that only the national flag and the Karnataka emblem would be hoisted on the flagpole, and no other religious flags would be allowed. The flag hoisting ceremony was scheduled to take place from 7 am to 8 am in the morning and before 5.30pm it should bring down.

The government’s negligence towards the arrangements made for flag hoisting is concerning. It was mandated that the gram panchayat and Keragodu police station provide information four days prior to the flag hoisting ceremony.

However, on January 20th evening, the saffron flag was hoisted. The villagers expressed their dissatisfaction and lodged a complaint with the district officials.