A minister-cum-senior leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Karnataka-- the Indian state embroiled in the ongoing row over hijab—has said that saffron flag may become the national flag in the future.
KS Eshwarappa, the minister for rural development and panchayat raj, however, said the tricolour is the national flag now, and it should be respected by everyone, reports the PTI.
"Hundreds of years ago the chariots of Sri Ramachandra and Maruthi had saffron flags on them. Was the tricolour flag there in our country then?,” he questioned while talking to reporters on Wednesday.
The minister said that anyone who does not respect the national flag is a traitor.
“Now it (tricolour) is fixed as our national flag, what respect it has to be given, should be given by every person who takes food in this country, there is no question about it," he added.
Asked if the saffron flag can be hoisted on the Red Fort, he said: "Not today, some day in the future.
“Sometime in the future, after 100 or 200 or 500 years Bhagwa dhwaj (saffron flag) may become the national flag. I don't know," Eshwarappa stated.
Further stating that now tricolour has been constitutionally accepted as the national flag, the minister said, it should be respected, and those who don't respect it will be a traitor.
"...We are the people who hoist the saffron flag, not today sometime in the future Hindu dharma (religion) will come to this country at that time we will hoist it on the Red Fort, for now tricolour is our national flag, there is now doubt about it and we all respect it," the former state BJP chief added.
Responding to another, he said that saffron flag can be hoisted anywhere, but not by lowering the national flag, it has not happened and will never happen.
Eshwarappa said that the ban on hijabs applied only to educational institutes that insist on uniforms, and that people can wear whatever they want elsewhere.
He also responded to allegations that BJP leaders were handing out saffron scarves to students, saying that he was free to distribute them if he wanted and did not need to take permission for it.
Over the past few days, Hindu students at several places in Karnataka have protested against women wearing hijabs to college. The protests prompted the government to close all high schools and colleges in the state for three days from Wednesday. The police have put a two-week ban on protests near educational institutions.
The rift basically started last month in Karnataka's Udupi district over a ban on headscarves. It has since snowballed as other schools began implementing a similar ban, causing protests by Muslim students.
Meanwhile, supporters of Hindu nationalist groups launched protests in support of the ban, with many hoisting saffron flag by replacing the tricolour at the Government First Grade College in Shivamogga, during an anti-hijab protest on Tuesday.
The matter has even reached the state's high court.
