Hijab row: Tricolor was not replaced by saffron flag in Karnataka college

It is being claimed that students unfurled the saffron flag by removing the tricolor.

The video seems to be from a college, where a man can be seen climbing a pole and holding a saffron flag. The crowd standing below is seen waving saffron scarves in enthusiasm.

Fact Check

The claim is False.

NewsMeter began its investigation by performing a keyword search which led us to a tweet by DK Shivakumar, president of Karnataka Congress on February 08, 2022.

"The situation in some Karnataka educational institutions has gone so out of hand that in one case the National flag was replaced by a saffron flag. I think the affected institutions should be closed for a week to restore law and order. Teaching can continue online," reads his tweet

We also found a report published by Hindustan Times on February 09, 2022. "He was reacting to a video, in which a student in Shimoga was seen hoisting a saffron flag as part of the ongoing faceoff between classmates. However, the principal of Government First Grade College in Shivamogga told HT that there was no flag on the post, in which the student hoisted a saffron flag," the report said.

Furthermore, Dhananjaya BR, the school principal had told Hindustan Times: "The post was empty, and we objected to the hoisting of any flag on the post. But they hoisted it anyway. The students came back after some time and removed the saffron flag."

We then found a tweet by ANI on February 08, 2022. The tweet had stated that Shimoga Superintendent of Police BM Lakshmi Prasad had issued his statement. He confirmed that the claim of replacing the national flag and installing the saffron flag in the college is false. Before the saffron flag, there was no national flag on the pillar. Simultaneously, shortly after unfurling the saffron flag, the protesters themselves removed it.

Apart from this, Ashraf Hussain, a journalist who had also shared the viral video, tweeted further updates about the viral claim.

He had shared two videos; one being Shimoga Superintendent of Police BM Lakshmi Prasad issuing his statement. While the second video was of Congress' student body NSUI workers putting up a national flag on the pole where a saffron flag was hoisted.

Hence, it is evident that the claim is False. The saffron flag was indeed hoisted in a college at Shimoga. However, the claim that the saffron flag was replaced by the tricolor is false.