Udupi MLA Condemns Congress Criticism of Deputy Commissioner Over Bhagwa Flag at Paryaya Festival
Udupi: Yashpal Suvarna, Udupi Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), has launched a strong rebuke against the Congress party, asserting that their call for punitive measures against the Deputy Commissioner for the hoisting of the Bhagwa flag during the recent Paryaya Mahotsava underscores what he describes as the party’s inherent anti-Hindu bias. Suvarna vehemently declared that the Paryaya procession was inaugurated with the revered Bhagwa flag, a symbol of profound religious significance for Hindus, and not, as he alleges, as some are attempting to insinuate, with the Pakistani flag.
The controversy stems from the recent Paryaya Mahotsava, a significant religious event in Udupi. According to Suvarna, the Deputy Commissioner, in the presence of the esteemed pontiffs of the Ashta Maths (eight prominent Hindu monasteries), traditionally commenced the ceremonial procession by hoisting the Bhagwa flag on the designated stage near Jodukatte. In response, the Udupi District Congress Legal and Human Rights Cell has formally petitioned the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and the Chief Secretary, demanding legal action against the Deputy Commissioner for what they deem an inappropriate act.
Suvarna highlighted that, conventionally, the District In-charge Minister presides over the flagging off of the Paryaya procession. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the District In-charge Minister was unable to attend the event, leaving the Deputy Commissioner to fulfill the responsibility in his stead. He accused the Congress party of deliberately misrepresenting the hoisting of the Bhagwa flag as a grave offense, attempting to equate it with the act of hoisting the Pakistani flag, and thereby instigating an unwarranted controversy.
“By demanding action against the Deputy Commissioner solely for hoisting the Bhagwa flag, the Congress party has revealed its deep-seated animosity towards this sacred symbol, which holds immense religious importance for Hindus,” Suvarna stated. He further questioned whether Congress would have similarly demanded the resignation of the District In-charge Minister had he been the one to hoist the Bhagwa flag and inaugurate the procession.
Suvarna accused the Congress leadership of engaging in what he termed “minority appeasement politics” at the expense of Hindu sentiments. He asserted that insulting the Bhagwa flag and Hindu religious sentiments is an unforgivable act. He contrasted the party’s swift condemnation of the Deputy Commissioner with their alleged silence on anti-national elements who purportedly raised pro-Pakistan slogans within the Vidhana Soudha premises. He also pointed to their purported hesitation in arresting Congress leader Rajeev Gowda, who is accused of issuing death threats to the Commissioner of Sidlaghatta Municipal Council in Chikkaballapur.
The MLA lamented that a competent Deputy Commissioner, who successfully managed the grand Paryaya Mahotsava attended by hundreds of thousands of devotees a mere six months after assuming office, was pressured into issuing a press clarification for simply participating in the festival. Suvarna warned that any punitive action taken by the state government against the Deputy Commissioner could trigger widespread protests by the people of Udupi and Hindu organizations, who would take to the streets in opposition.
