Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday justified the authorities’ move to take down a Hanuman flag from a 108-feet pole in Mandya’s Keragodu village, saying the national flag should have been hoisted instead.

“It is not right to fly the saffron flag instead of the national flag. They should have hoisted the national flag,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The move has triggered a massive political controversy with the BJP blaming the Congress for the unrest around the incident.

“When the Gram Panchayat board decided to hoist the Hanuman flag in the village of Keragodu in Mandya district, the state government showed the audacity to bring down the flag through police force. The Congress government is the reason behind the deteriorating law and order situation of the state,” said Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra.

What happened in Karnataka’s village?

On Sunday, the police removed the Hanuma Dwaja, a saffron flag featuring lord Hanuman in Mandya’s Keragodu village.

The supporters of the BJP, JD(S) and Bajrang Dal launched a massive protest against the authorities for trying to remove the flag. The police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the crowd.

The police and the local administration took down the flag and installed the tricolor in its place.

News agency PTI reported that the people of Keragodu and 12 neighbouring villages had collected money for the installation of the flag. BJP and JD(S) workers were said to be actively involved in this initiative.

Police action was taken after complaints from unknown persons. The taluk panchayat executive officer directed the gram panchayat officials to remove the flag, reported PTI.

But locals protested the move and held an overnight vigil. On Sunday morning, they chanted slogans against the chief minister and the Mandya Congress MLA Ganiga Ravikumar.

In the afternoon, the police used force to clear the area.

Mandya district in-charge N Cheluvarayaswamy clarified that the flagpole’s location fell under the panchayat’s jurisdiction, and permission was obtained to hoist the national flag. “But it was replaced by another flag that evening” he claimed.

Leader of Opposition R Ashoka criticised the government for its alleged “anti-Hindu stance”. “What was the need for police action? Why didn’t the administration speak to the villagers? There was a gram panchayat resolution to allow the flag,” he said.

With inputs from PTI, ANI