MP: Tense calm in Sehore after right-wing activists hoist Hindu Rashtra flag ahead of Hanuman Janmotsav

The saffron flag carrying Hindu Rashtra slogan was erected by right-wing activists on a rope tied to the eaves of two houses across the road by the workers of Bajrang Dal and Hindu Utsav Samiti.

Sehore: A tense calm prevails in Ashta area of Sehore district in Madhya Pradesh after rightwing activists hoisted a saffron flag having 'Hindu rashtra' written on it on the Kannod Road on Wednesday, a day ahead of the Hanuman Janmotsav. Police and administration are on alert mode since Wednesday morning in Ashta tehsil of Sehore district after the flag carrying Hindu Rashtra slogan was hoisted across the Ashta-Kannod road leading to communal tensions in the area.

The flag was erected by right-wing activists on a rope tied to the eaves of two houses across the road. Sources said that the banner was put up during the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday by the workers of Bajrang Dal and Hindu Utsav Samiti. In the morning, when the employees of the local municipality arrived to the spot to remove the flag, they were met with protests by the rightwing activists.

Soon the workers and office bearers of Bajrang Dal and Hindu Utsav Samiti rushed to the spot to prevent the municipality from removing the flag. Amid a tense situation, the municipality employees informed the police and the local administration about the incident. Later the concerned Tehsildar along with Ashta police station in-charge reached to the spot to pacify the protesting Hindutva activists.

In the meantime, Bajrang Dal chief Kalu Soni and Hindu Utsav Samiti president Kalu Bhatt also arrived at the spot. The discussion ended for a long time after which the administration officials returned without the flag being removed. An official said that the mega flag was said to have disrupted the traffic along the road.

Ashta SDM Anand Pratap Singh Rajawat said that they had inputs that traffic was being obstructed by the flag for which the Tehsildar was sent to the spot for a check. Since the traffic was not being obstructed by the banner, the officials returned accordingly, the SDM said. He said the workers of the Hindu organizations have also assured that after the Hanuman Janmotsav program on Thursday, they will take down the flag.

Dinesh Sharma, a local from Ashta, said that communal tensions have prevailed in the area since 1970 to 1987 adding there has been relative peace since then. Roughly 65 percent of the 1.75 lakh population in Ashta is Hindu and 35 percent are Muslims. The tehsil is considered a stronghold of the BJP. Raghunath Singh Malaviya is the BJP's local MLA.

Ajit Singh, who became an MLA in the Digvijay Singh government, also joined the BJP along with Scindia of late. The saffron party is also at the helm in the municipality in Ashta.