‘No mistake, so no action’: Bommai on Karnataka minister's saffron flag at Red Fort remark

Last week, Karnataka minister and BJP leader KS Eshwarappa said that in the future, the saffron flag could become the national flag of India and it will be hoisted at the Red Fort in Delhi.

Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday hit back at the Congress party over the latter's protest against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader KS Eshwarappa's comment on hoisting saffron flag at the Red Fort. Bommai said that his colleague at the state cabinet has not "legally committed any mistake” and hence, no action can be taken against him.

Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the Congress party is “selectively quoting” a part of state minister and BJP leader KS Eshwarappa's statement and “misleading” the people of the southern states and the assembly. (PTI)

Earlier in the day, the leaders of the grand old party held the national flag at the Karnataka assembly, and demanded the resignation of Eshwarappa. The Karnataka chief minister said that this was a violation of the Flag Code as the Congress used the tricolour as a symbol of protest in the House.

Speaking to media later, Bommai emphasised that Eshwarappa issued a clarification wherein he did not say about saffron flag being hoisted at the Red Fort “immediately” but in “another 300 or 500 years”, according to news agency ANI.

“He said it may or may not happen. He also added that we have accepted the national flag and no one must disrespect it,” the Karnataka CM told ANI.

Further attacking the grand old party, Bommai said that it is “selectively quoting” only a part of Eshwarappa's statement and are “misleading the people” in the state and the assembly.

Last week, Eshwarappa said that in the future the saffron flag - belonging to the BJP, could become the national flag of India, and the same will be unfurled at the Red Fort.

Interacting with media persons, the BJP leader from the southern state added that earlier, people used to laugh over the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He pointed out that the tricolour remains the constitutionally accepted flag of the country, and every individual must respect it.

“'Hindu dharma' will prevail in the country sometime in the future. Then, we will hoist the saffron flag at Red Fort,” Eshwarappa was quoted as saying by ANI.

While protesting against Eshwarappa's controversial remark, Congress leader and Karnataka's Leader of Opposition (LoP) Siddaramaiah said that a sedition case should be filed against the Karnataka minister for his statement similar to how cases were registered against farmers, who tried to hoist their flag at the Red Fort in Delhi.

These developments come amid the ongoing hijab row in Karnataka, which has triggered enormous backlash from the Opposition parties and led to several protests by students across the country. The Karnataka high court on Wednesday deferred hearing of the matter until tomorrow.