BHAGWAT DARES KERALA GOVT DIKTAT, TO HOIST FLAG ON RDAY

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat plans to circumvent an official directive banning political figures from unfurling the tricolour at government and aided schools across Kerala by hoisting it at a CBSE-affiliated school in Palakkad on Republic Day.

The CPI(M)-led LDF government had issued a circular to all government and aided schools across the state that only heads of institutions will be allowed to unfurl the national flag on their premises on January 26. Nevertheless, Bhagwat plans to go ahead with hoisting it at Vyas Vidya Peethom on the occasion.

The RSS chief will be in Palakkad to attend a three-day meet around that time. The right-wing organisation has dismissed the CPI(M)’s allegation that it was trying to whip up tension by “defying” government directive.

“We will go ahead with our plan.

The government directive is not binding on the school because it does not come under the state curriculum,” said E Krishnadas, district president of the BJP.

A similar incident occurred on Independence Day in 2017, when it was announced that Bhagwat would unfurl the tricolour at the Karnakiamman higher secondary school on the outskirts of Palakkad.

Hours before the event, district collector Mary Kutty res- trained the institution from hosting the RSS chief because it was deemed “improper for a political leader to hoist the national flag at an aided school”. The school went ahead with the function, embarrassing the government in the process. Mary Kutty was shunted out a few weeks later.

The RSS defended Bhagwat’s decision.

“It is a people’s festival... Why should the state government be the only representative of the people?” said Manmohan Vaidya, all-India spoke- sperson of the RSS. The CPI(M) and RSS have been at loggerheads in Kerala for decades.