‘I am Hindu and I love…’: CM Siddaramaiah on controversy over Lord Hanuman flag in Mandya

BJP and JDS take out protests in Mandya and Bengaluru over Lord Hanuman flag removal.

Published on: Jan 29, 2024, 12:16:12 IST

By Yamini C S

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

The controversy over the removal of a Lord Hanuman flag from a village flag post in Mandya continued to catch fire as opposition parties in Karnataka took out a ‘padayatra’ on Monday to protest against the state government's decision on the matter.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. (PTI)

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal-Secular (JDS), which have joined hands in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of this year's Lok Sabha election, took out protests both in Mandya as well as state capital Bengaluru, waving saffron flags in BMTC buses and raising slogans.

Their 'padayatra' was from the Keragodu village, where the ‘Hanuma Dhwaja’ was removed by officials, to the District Collector's office.

ALSO READ | Karnataka village tense after Hanuman flag removed; police use force to quell unrest

A controversy erupted in the state after a Lord Hanuman flag, that was hoisted in the Keragodu village in Mandya, was removed by officials and replaced with the Indian National flag.

What CM Siddaramaiah said

"BJP is creating unnecessary issues. They had only taken permission to host the national flag and the Kannada flag. The district administration has taken action on this. Elections are coming so BJP is making this a political issue. I am a Hindu and I love all people. I believe in co-existence and tolerance," Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar also reacted to the controversy and said that protesters are “free to do politics” but “should not take law into their hands”. “They should have basic common sense. Let them do politics, not take the law into their hands. We respect all religions. We can't allow anyone to take the law into their hands. They want to do politics. Let them do,” He said.

ALSO READ | Political circles abuzz as Karnataka mining baron hails PM Modi for Ram Temple

Security beefed up in Mandya following Hanuman flag row

Officials ordered for heightened security to prevent any untoward incidents and religious clashes between groups. Cops also imposed Section 144 as Keragodu village saw tense atmosphere after the Hanuman flag was removed and replaced with the Indian National flag.

ALSO READ | Man held for harassing minor in Puttur, mob attempts to lay siege

“On January 18, officials of Keregodu Gram Panchayat issued the permission letter with conditions that only the national flag would be hoisted,” Karnataka IT/BT and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj (RDPR) Minister, Priyank Kharge, said on the matter.

(With inputs from ANI)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

Get the latest City News, local updates, weather alerts and breaking stories from Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and other major cities across India on Hindustan Times.