Amid a row over her allegedly holding a saffron flag during the Paryaya Procession, Udupi Deputy Commissioner T K Swaroopa on Wednesday said she had attended the event in her official capacities and that there was no politically motivated participation on her part.
Her statement came in the wake of the District Congress Committee's Legal and Human Rights Cell writing to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking action against Swaroopa for holding the saffron flag while launching the Paryaya Procession on January 18.
"On Sunday, January 18 at 3.00 am, as part of the biennial Paryayotsava programme of Udupi Sri Krishna Math, I flagged off the said Puraprevesh programme of the Swamiji as part of my duties as the Administrator of Udupi City Council. Similarly, I have participated in the civic honour event for the new paryaya swamiji and the Durbar programme held after the swamiji ascended the Sarvajna Peetha. I would like to bring to the attention of the public that there was no politically motivated participation," Swaroopa said in the statement.
Paryaya or Paryayotsava on January 18, marked the ceremonial transfer of ritual and administrative control of the Udupi Sri Krishna Temple to Shiroor Matha, with Sri Vedavardhana Tirtha Swamiji assuming the charge as the pontiff-administrator of the temple for the 2026-28 term.
In the letter to the CM on Monday, President of the Udupi District Congress Committee's Legal and Human Rights Cell President Harish Shetty had said that on January 18 morning, ahead of the procession from Jodu Katte to Krishna Math, Udupi BJP MLA Yashpal Suvarna handed the "RSS flag to the DC, which she raised and waved publicly".
Such conduct by the DC was unacceptable as it goes against service rules of the officer and also against the principles of secularism in the Constitution, he said, adding that this should be inquired into, and that suitable action should be taken in accordance with law.
The 'Paryaya' system in Udupi is a rotational arrangement under which the temple is managed by the Ashta (eight) mathas--Pejavara, Puttige, Adamaru, Krishnapura, Shiroor, Sodhe, Kaniyoor and Palimaru, each taking charge for two years.
The system was instituted by 13th-century philosopher-saint Sri Madhwacharya, founder of the Dvaita school of philosophy.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
