Gangavathi tahsildar withdraws order to remove lamp posts with religious symbols after outrage

KOPPAL: After much outrage, Gangavathi tahsildar U Nagaraj on Thursday withdrew his order for removal of designer lamp posts installed on the road between Maharana Pratap Circle and July Nagar in the town. The tahsildar had initially ordered removal of the lamp posts after the SDPI claimed it hurt religious feeling and asked for their removal.

Anjanadri Hills is considered the birthplace of Lord Hanuman. The road between Maharana Pratap Circle and July Nagar leads to Anjanadri Hills. The Gangavathi city municipal council, acting on a proposal by MLA G Janardhana Reddy, had unanimously passed a resolution to beautify the pilgrim city on the lines of Tirupati and Ayodhya. Accordingly, lamp posts with the design of Lord Hanuman’s mace, Lord Ram’s bow and arrow and Lord Balaji’s tilak were erected between Maharana Pratap Circle and July Nagar.

However, the SDPI had raised objection to it claiming it symbolyses only one religion and would disturb communal amity. Following this, on August 28 evening, tahsildar Nagaraj issued an ordered, reportedly based on the oral instructions of the Koppal DC, to remove the lamp posts. He had even lodged a complaint with the police against the Karnataka Road Infrastructure Development Ltd (KRIDL).

After Public TV reported about it, there was much outrage from netizens. BJP leaders Janardhana Reddy and C T Ravi also took the government to task. Reddy also said that the design of the lamp posts were given to the officials after the resolution was passed in the civic body and added that the issue should not be politicised. Following this, the tahsildar has withdrawn his controversial order.