Kolar, Karnataka: For the first time in nearly 75 years, the Indian tricolour was hoisted on Kolar’s clock tower in Karnataka on Saturday. An important landmark in the town of Kolar, the clock tower was built by a trader named Mustafa Saheb in 1930.
According to the reports, the Islamic flags hoisted on the famous clock tower in Kolar, painted in green for over seven decades, are now replaced with the Indian national flag. The clock tower was repainted in white colour as the police provided security to the workers, which included the deployment of the Rapid Action Force.
Superintendent of Police of Kolar D. Devaraju was on the spot on Saturday as the district authorities removed Islamic flags hoisted on the clock tower. A tense situation occurred in the city after the district authorities removed the Islamic flags. However, no untoward incidents occurred on Saturday as the police were able to manage the situation.
Later, the Kolar district police involved the public, including local Muslims, to unfurl the Indian national flag at the newly decorated clock tower.
Earlier, Muniswamy S, the Lok Sabha MP from Kolar, had vowed to replace Islamic flags hoisted on the clock tower and had assured the Kolar public that the Indian tricolour would be unfurled at the same place. On Friday, the BJP MP had staged a protest in the city after the district authorities had imposed Section 144 amidst the ongoing clock tower controversy.
The Lok Sabha MP from Kolar, S Muiinswamy, had challenged the authorities to stop him and had announced that he would continue to protest till the tricolour was hoisted on the clock tower.
On Saturday, Munsiwamy took to Twitter to announce that the flag of a particular community made way for the Indian tricolour at the clock tower after a wait of 74 years.