In a surprising move, Kannada activists installed the Karnataka flag in front of the Belagavi City Corporation (BCC) on Monday, resisting police attempts to prevent them from doing so. The activists also used abusive words against the police officials.
Earlier attempts by activists to install the flag on the flag pole inside the BCC premises failed to yield results. While the corporation was housed in the old premises at Swami Vivekananda Marg, a saffron flag used to be hoisted along with the national flag. After its head office moved to new premises at Subhash Nagar, a flag pole was installed on which the national flag is hoisted.
Led by Kannada activist Srinivas Talukar, section of Kannada activists came to the BCC premises with a pole on which the Kannada flag had been fixed and begun to install clamps on the ground to ensure that the pole remains in tact.
In the meanwhile, police personnel arrived and began to prevent the activists from nailing the clamps, but did not succeed. In the melee, Kannada activists also sung the national anthem.
Talukar condemned the police for attempting to prevent them from hoisting the Kannada flag in front of the civic body.