The BJP taking out from Keragodu village to the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Mandya. | Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram
Shops closed in Keragodu. | Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram
The national flag replaced the saffron flag at Keragodu. | Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram
Amid the political dust kicked up by the flag row in Keragodu village in Mandya district, president the local gram panchayat has said that permission was given to erect the flagpost on the government land falling under its administrative purview only after the local trust gave an undertaking that it would hoist either the national tricolour or Kannada flag.
Speaking to The Hindu in the Keragodu Gram Panchayat office on Monday after the BJP began a march to the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Mandya demanding that the saffron flag that had been lowered on Sunday be hoisted again, gramp panchayat president Naveen Kumar said the Sri Gowri Shankar Seva Trust of Keragodu had submitted an application on December 29, 2023, seeking permission to erect a flagpost by giving an undertaking that it would hoist only a tricolour or the Kannada flag
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After approving the application in the gram panchayat’s general meeting and conducting a mahazar, the GP office issued permission on January 19, 2023, by stipulating a total of five conditions that not only made it mandatory for them to fly the national flag or the Kannada flag, but also to inform the GP office and police officials six to seven days prior to hoisting the flag.
However, he said the trust’s activists, who had already begun the work on erecting the 108-feet high flagpost, hoisted the saffron flag the very next day, on January 20, catching the authorities off-guard.
Peace meeting held
With a number of other organisations, including Dalit Sangharsha Samithi (DSS), taking strong exception, a peace meeting was convened in the village to sort out the issue on January 21, Mr. Naveen Kumar said. Sub-Inspector of Keragodu police station too attended the meeting and heard out the parties involved.
Soon, organisations began submitting applications to the gram panchayat seeking permission to erect statues of Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda and poet laureate Kuvempu.
Meanwhile, senior officials of district administration of Mandya took Panchayat Development Officer (PDO) Jeevan to task over the permission issued by the GP for erecting a flagpost. According to gram panchayat member Shanthagiri, who is also former vice-president of the GP, the taluk panchayat revoked the permission given by the GP in the wake of the controversy.
Officials from the district administration replaced the saffron flag with the national flag on Republic Day. It was flown in the morning and lowered in the evening.
Return of saffron flag
But, the saffron flag was back on the flagpost the next day on January 27. In view of the withdrawal of permission given to the trust, the PDO sought police security to lower the saffron flag, anticipating resistance from the trust’s representatives and activists of the Bajrang Dal, the RSS, and the BJP.
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Ahead of lowering it on January 28, tahsildar of Mandya taluk Shivkumar Biradar imposed prohibitory orders around the flagpost from 6 a.m. on January 28.
Meanwhile, Mr. Naveen Kumar also clarified that there was no Ram Mandir in Keragodu. “We have only a Hanuman temple. I am in favour of building a Ram temple while taking steps to vacate vast areas of government land in Keragodu that has been encroached,” he said.
