Police had to intervene to get the situation under control at a temple in the Indian city of Bengaluru on Friday when supporters of two different political parties clashed and a fist-fight broke out between the two sides.
Reportedly, regional political party Janata Dal (Secular) workers wanted to enter the Gavi Rangappa Temple first to perform prayers but supporters of the state’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party legislator Narayana Gowda opposed it. Soon afterwards, the two groups became involved in a scuffle.
#WATCH K'taka: Scuffle b/w JD(s)'s Taluk Panchayt member, Dinesh&supporters of BJP MLA,Narayana Gowda during Brahma rathothsava at Gavi Rangappa Temple in Billenahalli. Dinesh wanted to perform prayers first,MLA's supporters opposed it.Later police brought situation under control pic.twitter.com/fq1RLxgzAF
— ANI (@ANI) January 17, 2020
According to sources, opposition party members were left irked when BJP supporters started chanting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name when Siddaramaiah, former state chief from Janata Dal (Secular) came to visit the temple.
Another video shared by a Twitter user shows hordes of people chanting “Modi Modi” as Siddaramaiah entered the temple's premises.
Here you go...have a look pic.twitter.com/VdaNGXqlBm
— Priya 🇮🇳 (@iamS_Priya) January 17, 2020
The video left many netizens baffled and some critics of the Modi government’s ideology of Hindu nationalism criticised it.
How Hindu Rashtra would look.
— Constitution Uddin (@hum_dekhenge) January 17, 2020
1984 says Hello
— Swapnil Devkar (@devkarswapnil61) January 17, 2020
The incident occurred as hundreds of people visited the temple to participate in the annual Brahma Rathotsava festival. It is celebrated to pay reverence to lord Bhrama and a Brahma Ratha and the chariot is pulled every year during the annual festival.
