Police officials in Chikkamagaluru are investigating the appearance of a flag seen on the Shankaracharya statue in the temple town of Sringeri on Thursday. Meanwhile, BJP leaders claimed that the flag was the party flag of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI).
However, speaking to TNM, Chikkamagaluru SP Hakay Akshay Machindra said that the flag resembled the SDPI's flag but it was not the same flag. "It is not the flag of SDPI but it resembles it. It is not the green Islamic flag either. It has the colors which resemble the party flag of SDPI. There is blue, red and green color on the flag. We will clarify about the incident soon," the SP said.
The flag was pulled down by police officials and a case was registered in the Sringeri police station.
Udupi-Chikkamagaluru BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje took to Twitter to denounce the SDPI and criticised the organisation calling it 'intolerant'.
"I condemn the incident of planting SDPI flags on Sri Shankaracharya's statue at Sringeri, serious action will be taken against those who are behind this incident!," she said in the tweet.
Intolerance of SDPI is touching peak!
— Shobha Karandlaje (@ShobhaBJP) August 13, 2020
Anti social elements are inciting people to propagate their sinister agendas.
I condemn the incident of planting SDPI flags on Sri Shankaracharya's statue at Sringeri, serious action will be taken against those who are behind this incident! pic.twitter.com/j1S337SR0Z
Tourism Minister and Chikkamagaluru MLA CT Ravi too said the flag's appearance on the holy saint's statue will be investigated.
ಶೃಂಗೇರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೀ ಶಂಕರಾಚಾರ್ಯರ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆಯ ಮೇಲೆ ಎಸ್ಡಿಪಿಐ ಧ್ವಜ ಹಾರಿಸಿದ್ದಾರೆ ಎಂಬ ವಿಷಯ ತಿಳಿದು ಬಂದಿದ್ದು ಜಿಲ್ಲಾ ಪೊಲೀಸ್ ಮುಖ್ಯ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಗಳಿಗೆ ತನಿಖೆ ನಡೆಸಿ ತಪ್ಪಿತಸ್ಥರ ಮೇಲೆ ಕ್ರಮ ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳುವಂತೆ ಸೂಚಿಸಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಕಾನೂನು ಸುವ್ಯವಸ್ಥೆ ಕಾಪಾಡಲು ಎಲ್ಲರೂ ಸಹಕರಿಸಿ
— C T Ravi ಸಿ ಟಿ ರವಿ (@CTRavi_BJP) August 13, 2020
Police officials said that they are interviewing suspects in the case. "We will be able to give clarity after the investigation is completed," the SP added.
Adi Shankaracharya is an 8th century philosopher and Sringeri, situated on the banks of the river Tunga in Chikkamagaluru district was the first mutt established by him.
The reports come a day after an SDPI leader and its Bengaluru unit president Muzammil was arrested in connection with the violent mob attack in eastern Bengaluru. Muzammil had arrived at the DJ Halli police station on Tuesday night seeking an FIR to be registered against a local resident Naveen P over a derogatory Facebook comment made by him. Naveen is a relative of the Congress MLA Akhand Srinivas Murthy.