Hostellers, warden argue over Ganesha Chaturthi celebration in Gadag, police thrash students

GADAG: The police thrashed some inmates of the Dr B R Ambedkar post-matric vocational hostel here on Wednesday night after a dispute broke out between the hostellers and the warden over visarjan of the Ganesha idol which had been installed.

The hostellers would usually keep the idol for three days and conduct visarjan on the last day. However, this year, the hostel warden Riyaz Agarkhed had secured permission for keeping the idol for only one day.

The hostellers insisted that the warden get permission for three days and an argument ensued. The police, who intervened, thrashed some students and the warden conducted the visarjan with police protection on Wednesday evening itself.

Angry hostel inmates alleged that the warden was obstructing Hindu festivities and tension prevailed in the hostel. The tension eased only after senior police officers visited the hostel later in the evening.