Another row has erupted in Karnataka over an unauthorised flagpole and a saffron flag hoisted at a fishing harbour in communally sensitive Bhatkal, close on the heels of a similar incident sparking a law and order situation in Mandya.

BJP and Sangh Parivar workers had built a platform in the name of Hindutva ideologue V.D. Savarkar and installed a flagpole in the fishing harbour in Tenginagundi in Bhatkal, Uttara Kannada district, some 500km from here, on January 21.

They had also hoisted a saffron flag bearing the image of Hanuman to mark the January 22 consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The Bhatkal tehsildar then directed the Heble panchayat authorities, under whose jurisdiction Tenginagundi falls, to take action following complaints from locals. Accordingly, the flag was lowered and the entire edifice demolished on January 27.

But defiant BJP and Sangh Parivar activists installed a new flagpole at the same spot on Tuesday evening amid chants of “Jai Shri Ram”. While the flagpole has yet
to be removed, no flag has been hoisted.

Local BJP leaders including Govind Naik and Subraya Devadiga demanded that the people be allowed to hoist the saffron flag. “It is the local people who wanted a flag pole named after Savarkar,” Govind said.

But local authorities refused to budge and said the flagpole was built without permission. Bhatkal tehsildar Thippeswamy spoke to residents and protesters about the futility of demanding the right to install a flagpole on government land. He, however, agreed to their demand to remove all illegal hoardings and flags from the area.