Participants of ‘Durga Mata run’ tread on Pakistan flag in Belagavi

Some onlookers took pictures and videos of the incident and began sharing them on social media

Police rushed to Maratha Colony in Belagavi following reports that some persons, who participated in the Durga Mata Doud (run), had tread on a cloth resembling the flag of Pakistan on September 26.

Some young men had spread the flag on the road that the runners were to pass through on Mahadwar Road in Maratha Colony. Some floral patterns and rangolis were also put on the sides. When the runners reached the area, some women of the local households applied tilak (vermilion) to their forehead and performed arati (prayer).

Most runners tread on the flag. Some men stopped for a moment when the cloth got caught under their feet. Some onlookers took pictures and videos of the incident and began sharing them on social media.

When the Belagavi police learnt about the incident, a team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Ravindra Gadadi rushed to Maratha Colony. By then, the runners had left the spot. The police removed the cloth and cleared the area.

The run is a nine-day event that coincides with the Navaratri (9-day) festival. It is organised by Shiva Pratishtan, Durga Vahini and Sambhaji Yuva Sena, among others. The runners raise slogans like ‘Jai Shivaji Amba Bhavani’ and ‘Durga Mata Ki Jai’.