E-Paper
Row over banners of Savarkar continues in several districts of K’taka
The banner was installed by Hindu Mahasabha leader Rajesh Pavitran, extending Sri Krishna Janmashtami greetings, police said.
The Mangaluru district administration on Friday removed a banner carrying pictures of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse and Hindutva idealogue V D Savarkar. The district administration took the step after they received a complaint on Thursday in this regard.
The banner was installed by Hindu Mahasabha leader Rajesh Pavitran, extending Sri Krishna Janmashtami greetings, police said. The authorities removed the banner on the orders of the Mangaluru City Corporation commissioner Akshay Shridhar.
The Hindu Mahasabha had also courted a controversy when they put up a banner with Savarkar’s photo on August 14 at the Surathkal flyover.
Meanwhile, in Udupi city, a banner depicting ‘Hindu Rashtra’ with portraits of Savarkar and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, put up at the Brahmagiri circle, was removed by Hindu activists themselves on Friday. The development comes after the Socialist Democratic Party of India (SDPI) and Congress had demanded for removal of the same.
It was put up by activists from different Hindu organisations on the eve of Independence Day.
According to leaders of the Hindu Mahasabha, Hindu Jagarana Vedike and other such organisations, though they had received permission to display the banner for 15 days, they decided to remove it because of Sri Krishna Janmashtami celebrations and following instructions from the police.
The leaders of these organisations also took out a procession from Brahmagiri Circle till the Martyrs’ Memorial at Ajjarakad before winding up the programme, on Friday.
“Present-day politicians obtain luxurious facilities even if they are jailed but Savarkar fought for the freedom of the country and experienced harsh punishment in jail. He spent several years of his life in prison. We will not remain quiet if such a freedom fighter is insulted,” said Hindu Yuva Vahini head Abhijith Karkunje during the rally. “Savarkar has sacrificed his life for the country. Therefore, an insult to him is condemnable,” he said.
Meanwhile, before removing the banner, Hindutva groups urged the municipality to permit them to erect a statue of Savarkar at Brahmagiri Circle. A formal appeal will be submitted to the municipal authorities soon, said a member of one of the organisations, who refused to be named.
The BJP national general secretary of Backward Classes Morcha, Yashpal Suvarna, on Friday submitted a memorandum to Udupi city municipal corporation (CMC) commissioner Uday Shetty to erect Savarkar’s bust at the same place.
Suvarna had on Wednesday said that he will make sure “that Savarkar’s bust is installed at the circle” after a PFI member Mohammed Zuraiz from Udupi filed a police complaint objecting to the banner at Brahmagiri Circle in Ajjarakad ward of Udupi city on August 15.
Udupi CMC commissioner Uday Shetty, however, said that the CMC did not receive any such proposal. “A resolution has to be passed in the general body meeting of Udupi CMC, after which the police have to issue a no objection certificate (NOC), in case such a bust has to be installed,” he added.
Expressing his disgruntlement against Savarkar’s cutout, Udupi district PFI president Fayaz Ahmed said that that PFI will launch a protest if the cutout is not removed. ‘’It is a shame that police are protecting the cutout which has been placed there to create trouble,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, Section 144 was lifted in Shivamogga on Thursday. The curbs were imposed in the area after a group of Tipu Sultan followers tried to remove banners of Savarkar on August 15. Two people were injured in the clashes.
(With inputs from PTI)
