Religious flag row roils state, one taken down in Bengaluru’s JJR Nagar, another in Mysuru

BENGALURU, MYSURU, RAICHUR: Close on the heels of the Hanuman flag controversy in Keragodu of Mandya district and the replacement of a religious flag at Shivajinagar in Bengaluru, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike brought down another religious flag put up right next to a lamppost in Jagjivanram Nagar.

The action came after a X user, Shashank, posted a picture of the religious flag at Sangam Circle right in front of the Jagjivanram Nagar police station, tagging the police commissioner and questioning whether the police were sleeping for 10 years though the flag was just outside the police station.

The flag has been lowered from the post.

The city police then alerted the BBMP which took down the flag. The police have also been deployed in the locality to prevent any untoward incident. It is said that the photograph was clicked on January 22 and posted on January 30. Police claim that the BBMP officials had brought down the flag in between those days.

ಮೈಸೂರಿನ ಕೈಲಾಸಪುರಂನ ಮೊಟ್ಟೆಕೇರಿ ಶ್ರೀನಿವಾಸ ಟೆಂಪಲ್ ರೋಡ್ ನಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕರ್ ಪಾರ್ಕ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಟಿಪ್ಪು ಭಾವುಟ ಹಾಕಿದ್ದಾರಲ್ಲಾ ಅವರು ಯಾರ ಅನುಮತಿ ಪಡೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಸಿದ್ದರಾಮಯ್ಯನವರೇ, ಪರಮೇಶ್ವರರೇ? pic.twitter.com/vpnIlbIlno

— Prathap Simha (@mepratap) January 30, 2024

In Mysuru, Lok Sabha member Pratap Simha posted picturs of a Tipu flag at the Ambedkar Park in Kailasapuram and questioned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G Parameshwara if permission had been sought for it.

ಮೈಸೂರು ಜಿಲ್ಲಾಡಳಿತಕ್ಕೆ ಧನ್ಯವಾದಗಳು, ಆದ್ರೆ ಒಂದು ಬಾವುಟ ತೆಗೆದು ಪಕ್ಕದಲ್ಲೇ ಇನ್ನೊಂದನ್ನೇಕೆ ಬಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದೀರಿ? ನಾನೇ ಸ್ಥಳಕ್ಕೆ ಬಂದು ತೋರಿಸಬೇಕಾ? ಕೈಲಾಸ್ ಪುರಂ, 4 ನೇ ಮುಖ್ಯರಸ್ತೆ, ಅಂಬೇಡ್ಕರ್ ಪಾರ್ಕ್, ಶ್ರೀನಿವಾಸ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ ರಸ್ತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಧ್ವಜವಿರುವುದು ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲವೇ? pic.twitter.com/mdzSPu3l5q

— Prathap Simha (@mepratap) January 31, 2024

In another post on X on Wednesday afternoon, questioned the Mysuru district administration why they had left another religious flag to stay while they had taken down the Tipu flag. “Should I come to the spot myself and show you the flag? Can’t you see the other flag?” he questioned.

Locals staged a protest against garlanding a portrait of Tipu Sultan with footwear.

Muslims staged a protest after a portrait of Tipu Sultan at Hazrat Tipu Sultan Circle at Sirwar in Raichur district was found with a garland of footwear on Wednesday. They also blocked traffic and demanded the arrest of the culprits.

The police and taluk administration officials assured the protesters that CCTV cameras will be installed on the main road and the culprits will be nabbed in 24 hours after which the crowd relented.

The protesters warned that they will resume their stir if the culprits are not nabbed soon. An FIR was registered at the Sirwar police station and a hunt is on for the miscreants.

A social media user posted a picture of a clock tower in Kolar, with an Islamic symbol of a half moon and a star on top of it and pointed out that the law should apply equally to all. In the caption, the user wrote, “The law is the same for all, this is a public property and not somebody’s ancestral property”.

The same clock tower was in the centre of a controversy when Kolar BJP MP Muniswamy had staged a protest. Prior to March 19, 2022, the clock tower was painted green and a religious flag was flown atop it. After the MP raised the issue, the clock tower was painted in the Tricolour, but the Islamic symbol remained after a request by local Muslims.

The Muslims had pointed out that the clock tower was built by Haji Mohammed Mustafa Sab and was inaugurated by Mysore Maharaja Kanteerava Narasimharaja Wodeyar in September 1938. Following this, the height of the mast was reduced and arrangements were made to fly the national flag at a higher level on Republic Day and Independence Day.

But now, since the clock tower is the property of the city corporation, it is deemed as public property and a fresh controversy is brewing over the religious symbol.

In Chikkaballapur, a family has erected a flagpost just outside their house compound and put up religious flags. After oral complaints, the corporation commissioner and the police visited the spot and directed the house owner to remove the flag post since it is on the public road.