The police and the press are known to maintain a respectable distance from each other given the mutual distrust they harbour.
But these niceties came crashing down in the sanctum-sanctorum of Sri Chamundeshwari Temple during the inauguration of Dasara here on Thursday.
The immediate trigger was the perceived overzealousness of the police to clear the temple precincts of the public and the press for the arrival of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, with poet K.S. Nisar Ahmed, for darshan before the inauguration of the festivities.
This action resulted in scribes being pushed around, leaving the press with frayed nerves.
Resolute in their determination to counter this “audacity”, members of the press decided to give as good as they got, resulting in a free-for-all brawl, with the priests looking on helplessly.
As the language grew more acerbic, senior officials tried to douse passions and cut down on the blistering exchange of words, but to no avail. Sensing the futility, both sides relented and decided to save their ammunition for another day, at another place. As peace reigned, the priests heaved a sigh of relief, with the fracas ending as suddenly as it began.
