Mandya: Keragodu village continues to be tense after Hanuman flag removed; protests continue
Mandya, Jan 29: The situation remained tense in Keragodu village near here, but under control on Monday, a day after it witnessed strong protests and police action, following the removal of a saffron flag bearing Lord Hanuman's picture hoisted on a 108-ft tall flag post by the authorities.
A large contingent of police force has been deployed as a precautionary measure, as people in and around the village, along with BJP, JD(S) and Bajrang Dal workers and activists from other organisations continued to protest the removal of the 'Hanumana dwaja' flag and demanded that it be hoisted once again.
The protesters began their protest march to the Deputy Commissioner's office in the district headquarters of Mandya city holding saffron flags as a mark of protest. According to reports, they are likely to be joined by JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.
Police on Sunday had resorted to mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control. The police and administration had hoisted the Tricolour on the flag pole from which the 'Hanumana dwaja' was removed.
Police have also erected barricades around the flagpole and CCTV cameras have been installed in the area to secure the place and to ensure that no untoward incident occurs, official sources said.
Most shops and establishments have remained shut in the village, they said, as protesting activists and villagers had given a call for a voluntary shutdown.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders and workers are holding protests at all the district headquarters of the state today, condemning the "anti-Hindu policy" of the Congress state government and accusing it of "insulting" the national flag.
In Bengaluru, BJP staged a protest at Mysuru Bank circle under the leadership of Jayanagara MLA C K Ramamurthy. They were detained and taken away by the police. Police said no permission was granted to stage a protest at the site.
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Tumkur: 24-year-old rider killed in car-bike head-on collision in Tiptur
Tiptur: A 24-year-old rider was killed on the spot in a head-on collision between his motorbike and a car near Bidiregudi of Kasaba hobli in the taluk.
The deceased rider, Vijay Kumar, was a resident of BL Koppalu Basaveshwara Nagara in Kasaba hobli, Arsikere taluk.
He was reportedly returning home after work at a welding factory near TM Manjunath Nagar Gate, Tiptur, when a car coming from the opposite direction collided with his bike near Bidiregudi. Vijay Kumar is said to have died at the spot due to the impact of the collision.
Locals have blamed the lack of signboards and other precautionary measures amid the construction of a four-lane national highway in the area, mainly between Bidiregudi and Konehalli. They have said that the carelessness of the National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI) has led to frequent accidents in the region.
“A meeting of officers from various government departments, including the police, was held recently under the chairmanship of the local legislator, but several NHAI officials were reportedly absent. Despite the meeting, officials appear careless in implementing safety measures, leading to a rise in accidents,” the locals said, demanding immediate action from the concerned authorities.
