Hanuman Dhwaj removal: It's beginning of Congress govt's downfall: Kumaraswamy

Bengaluru: Commenting on the Hanuman Dhwaj removal controversy in Mandya district, former Karnataka Chief Minister and senior JDS leader HD Kumaraswamy on Monday said this is the beginning of the downfall of Congress government in Karnataka.

"This is the beginning of the downfall of Congress government in Karnataka. They are misusing their powers," he told a section of media here.

Kumaraswamy also said that not only one village has not staged a protest, but also surrounding villages, and this will boomerang upon the Congress government in the future.

He said the reaction given by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is anti-people.

Earlier in the day, Karnataka CM blamed the BJP and the JDS for creating unnecessary controversies in the run-up to the Lok Sabha election.

He said permission was only granted to hoist a national or a state flag, hence the district administration brought down the Hanuman Dhwaj from the flagpost.

The controversy erupted after the Mandya administration removed Hanuman Dhwaj from the flagpost located in Keragodu village in the Mandya district with the help of police.

The Hanuman Dhwaj was replaced with the national flag yesterday, and BJP and JDS workers later staged a protest, branding the ruling Congress party as anti-Hindu. Today, both the opposition parties took out a padayatra in Mandya and Bengaluru to protest against the state government's decision to remove Hanuman Dhwaj.

The padayatra began from Keragodu village, where the Hanuman Dhwaj was removed, to the District Collector's office.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the protesters are free to do politics, but should not take law into their hands.

"They should have basic common sense. Let them do politics, not take the law into their hands. We respect all religions. We can't allow anyone to take the law into their hands. They want to do politics. Let them do," he told reporters.

In the prevailing tense circumstances, the police have deployed their personnel and clamped prohibitory orders to prevent any untoward incidents and clashes between groups.