SDPI flag draped over Shankaracharya gopura: Act of a drunkard, says police

Team Udayavani, Aug 14, 2020, 4:01 PM IST

Chikkamagaluru: The police have arrested a man who allegedly threw a banner over a gopura hosing a statue of Shankaracharya in Sringeri.

A tense situation prevailed in the Sringeri after the banner, bearing an image of a mosque was found draped over the gopura here on Thursday morning. People mistook the banner to be a flag of SDPI and alleged that the act a deliberate one with intention of hurting Hindu sentiments.

The accused identified as Milind had thrown the banner over the holy structure here, superintendent of police (SP) Hakay Akshay Machindra told reporters here. The accused has been produced before the court.

Briefing about the incident the SP clarified that contrary to perception, the banner was not a SDPI flag. On Wednesday, the accused who was in an inebriated state came and slept near the Jama Masjid here and used the banner to protect himself from the rains. Later he arrived at Veerappa Gowda Circle. Milind threw the banner over the statue as he assumed that it belonged to some God.

The police investigating the case zeroed in on Milind after going through the CCTV footage of the Masjid and bar where he consumed liquor.

“This is an act of drunkard. SDPI or any other political organization has no role in this,” Hakay said.