Mangaluru: Right-wing outfits in Mangaluru started a campaign to hoist the Hanuman flag across the state till February 9th. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal launched the campaign as a protest against state administration after a Hanuman flag was replaced with the Tricolour by authorities at a flagpost at Keragodu in Karnataka's Mandya district, PTI reported.
In a statement here, Bajrang Dal regional chief K R Sunil said the Hanuma dhwaja (flag) was hoisted at VHP office 'Vishwasri' in Mangaluru on Friday as part of the protest.
He said the Hanuma dhwaja will be hoisted at all temples, mandirs, Hindu religious institutions, offices of VHP and Bajrang Dal across the state during the campaign.
The VHP and Bajrang Dal activists will submit a memorandum to the Mandya deputy commissioner to urge the state government to allow the hoisting of Hanuman dhwaja at Keragodu as well. The outfits will also arrange chanting of Hanuman Chalisa across the state on February 10, he said.
There were tensions in the area after the authorities replaced the flag in Keragodu. Here, the flagpost was erected around the time of Republic Day and a Tricolour was hoisted on that day. Some groups removed the Tricolour in the evening that day and hoisted the Hanuman flag. Authorities removed this Hanuman flag and replaced the Tricolour based on a complaint.
The tensions led to heated exchanges between police and locals, who demanded not to remove the Hanuman flag.
The protestors refused to relent and affixed a flex board featuring a portrait of Lord Ram along with a smaller saffron flag at the base of the flagpole. Attempts to resist removal were made when the police intervened. Slogans of "Jai Sri Ram, Jai Hanuman" filled the air. However, police forcibly removed the protestors, again resorting to a mild lathi charge to restore order. Following this, the police and administration officials finally raised the Tricolour on the flagpole from which the Hanuma dhwaja had been removed.