Six Bajrang Dal workers detained for pasting Pak national flags
Police said the accused allegedly pasted the Pakistani national flags as a form of protest after 26 people were killed in a terror attack at Pahalgam
The Kalaburagi city police detained six Bajarang Dal workers on Friday after they allegedly pasted Pakistani national flags on road surfaces and other public places, including toilet walls, under the Brahmapur police station limits, officers aware of the matter said.
The accused allegedly pasted the Pakistani national flags as a form of protest after 26 people were killed in a terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, they added.
Kalaburagi city police commissioner Sharanappa SD said, “In the wake of the recent terror-related incident, several organisations have begun expressing their protest in various forms. However, putting up Pakistani flags in public spaces even as a form of protest is an unlawful act that creates unnecessary confusion and potential communal tension.”
Sharanappa said, “Six Bajrang Dal workers have been detained for staging protest without prior permission from the authorities. While their motive appears to be a symbolic protest against terrorism, such methods are not permissible under the law.”
Police have not revealed the names of the accused yet.
According to police, as they received information that the Pakistani flags were found pasted in public places, the intelligence department and local police units swiftly took action.
Personnel from the Brahmapur police station, along with members of the intelligence department, rushed to the spots and removed the flags. Preliminary investigations revealed that the act was carried out by members of the Bajarang Dal, a right-wing Hindu nationalist group, police said.
“Anybody can protest, but one should get permission for it first. We have registered a case against the six people under the Karnataka Police Act. Later, they were all released on station bail,” Sharanappa added.
Police have launched a formal investigation into the incident to determine whether additional individuals or organisations were involved, and to assess the potential for communal disruption stemming from the act. The authorities are also reviewing CCTV footage from the surrounding areas to track the movement and coordination behind the incident, they said.
