Karnataka: Tensions run high after miscreants hoist saffron flag atop mosque in Belagavi

The reports of communal tensions and clashes have taken over the country over the past month, ever since violence was reported in different states during notable festivals like Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti.

Once again, tensions run high in Karnataka after some miscreants hoisted a saffron flag on a mosque in a village in Karnataka’s Belagavi district on Wednesday.

According to police, the miscreants climbed to the mosque tower and hoisted the flag in the wee hours. The incident came to light in the morning, causing tension in the region.

The incident took place in the Sattigeri Maddi mosque in Mudalagi taluk of the district. The police rushed to the spot and controlled the situation. The police held a meeting of the leaders of both the Hindu and Muslim communities and removed the saffron flag.

Though the police controlled the situation, security has been beefed up in all sensitive areas of the district to avoid any untoward incidents.

The incident caused panic and raised concerns all over the state as the state has been witnessing agitations by the Hindu organisations on the loudspeaker row.

The government has announced guidelines and stated that they would be implemented. Hindu organisations have said that they would like to see the guidelines implemented as soon as possible.

Since the beginning of April, communal tensions have remained heightened in several parts of the country. States such as Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Karnataka have reported communal tensions previously on festivals such as Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti.

Further, the communal tensions have also led to the start of a political row in the country, with opposition parties often pinning the blame of clashes on the BJP for “creating differences” between religious groups.