Davanagere police remove flex of Shivaji Maharaj killing Afzal Khan, Hindu activists put up another one

DAVANAGERE: Tension prevailed at Mattikal in Davanagere on Thursday evening and Friday morning after the police removed an ‘objectionable’ flex put up for the Ganesha Chaturthi celebrations. However, local youths replaced it with another flex on Friday.

Tension had prevailed in the area since Thursday evening after the police directed Hindu youths to remove a flex depicting Chhatrpathi Shivaji Maharaj killing Afzal Khan, a 17th-century general of the Bijapur Sultanate. However, Hindu groups maintained that there was nothing objectionable with it and insisted that it was a part of history which should be known to all.

There was a bit of pushing and shoving between the police and the youths as the former insisted on taking down the flexes. The Hindu groups then asked the police to remove flexes of Tipu Sultan and Aurangzed all across the district. The police had given the Hindu activists time till 10.30 am on Friday to remove the flexes.

A new flex was put up on Friday morning.

On Friday morning, the police, led by SP Uma Prashant, removed the flexes claiming that it would disturb communal harmony. Following this, Hindu activists put up another flex with the image of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj holding a sword and a Hindavi flag in the background.