‘Descendants of Godse are disrupting peace in Karnataka’: CM Siddaramaiah lashes out after Hanuman flag row

On Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said that the ‘descendants’ of Gandhi murderer Nathuram Godse are trying to disrupt law and order in Karnataka. He was speaking about the recent Hanuman flag incident in Mandya district and accused the BJP of creating a communal ruckus in the state.

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After paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi on Tuesday, Siddaramaiah said, “There are people within us who worship Godse and speak about the values of Gandhi. They are the descendants of Godse, trying to rake communal violence in the state.”

He then spoke about the Hanuman flag incident at Mandya and said that the Keragodu Panchayat had granted permission to hoist tricolor or Karnataka flag only and not any religious or political flag.

On Sunday, after a Lord Hanuman flag was hoisted in the Keragodu village in Mandya, it was removed and replaced with the Indian National flag by the officials. Authorities maintained that the Keregodu Gram Panchayat had issued a permission letter on January 18 with conditions that only the national flag could be hoisted.

The incident led to a political slugfest in the state, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemning the state government's decision to remove the “Hanuma Dhwaja”. Leaders from the saffron party also hit out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, calling him "anti Hindu" and "anti Hanuma Dwaja."

The Janata Dal (Secular) also joined their ally and held massive protests across Mandya, demanding the government to hoist back the saffron Hanuman flag in the village.

Karnataka police imposed preventative restrictions and heightened security in the district by deploying many police personnel, making for a tense atmosphere. Police also imposed Section 144 to prevent untoward incidents and religious clashes between groups.