Kannada group warns Rahul Gandhi not to use his pic on 'Karnataka flag'

Mysuru, Oct 03: Rahul Gandhi is facing the ire of a pro-Kannada outfit for allegedly using his photo on the Karnataka flag.

Karnataka Nava Nirmana Samithi has warned the former Congress president not to use his picture on the state flag, according to a report in India Today, and sought an apology from him.

In the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' photos in Mysuru, Gandhi's photo was printed on the Karnataka flag which has not gone well with the group, the report adds.

Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashok has slammed the development, saying it is a "shame to Congress."

"When [Congress leader] Siddaramaiah was in power, he changed the Karnataka flag. That time all Kannadigas protested, then he changed it. Now, Rahul Gandhi's photo [on the flag] is a shame to Congress," the website quoted him as saying.

Meanwhile, Gandhi on Monday visited the Chamundeshwari temple atop Chamundi hills on the third day of the party's Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka.

He was accompanied by supporters and party leaders as he visited the shrine. Goddess Chamundeshwari is the tutelary deity of the Mysuru royalty and the presiding deity of Mysuru for several centuries.

In a tweet in Hindi after visiting the temple, Gandhi said, "Religious harmony is the foundation of India's peaceful and progressive future".