RSS chief to unfurl tricolour at Kerala school on Jan 26

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is set to unfurl the tricolour on Republic Day at a school run by Sangh workers in Palakkad district in Kerala.
The state's CPI(M)-led LDF government issued a circular yesterday laying the guidelines for hoisting the national flag on Republic Day in government and educational institutions.
According to the circular, heads of educational institutions have been asked to hoist the tricolour accompanied by the singing of the national anthem.
On Independence Day last year, Bhagwat had kicked up a row by hoisting the national flag at Karnakiamman higher secondary school, a government-aided institution, flouting an order by the Palakkad collector.

However, Sangh sources said, the Vyasa Vidhya Peetam Higher Secondary School in Palakkad, where the RSS chief is to hoist the flag, is run by Vidhyabharti, an organisation of RSS workers.
"This is not a government or aided school. The school management will decide who has to hoist the flag," RSS's state coordinator K K Balram told PTI.

"The government circular is not binding on us as it is a private school," he added.
Bhagwat is visiting Kerala to attend a three-day camp of RSS workers at the school and there is nothing wrong in his hoisting the tricolour, he said.

Organisational work and expansion of Sangh's activities in the coming years would be discussed with more than 5,000 office-bearers taking part in the camp, Balram said.
Bhagwat, who will reachi Kochi tomorrow, will immediately leave for Palakkad, he added.