High tension prevailed at Chengicherla’s Pittal Basti area in Ghatkesar when a group offering evening prayers clashed with another group of villagers celebrating Holi festival by playing songs on a music system. The clash initially started on Sunday evening between the two groups and resulted in chaos at the open place adjacent to the place of worship. After the Medipally police of Rachakonda intervened and detained members from the two groups, another scuffle, allegedly provoked by some individuals from the groups, was reported on Monday morning.
By Monday afternoon, around 150 policemen from the Rachakonda police and the CISF officials were deployed on the ground as a precautionary measure. “Around 4 p.m. on Sunday, an argument broke out between the groups when the men offering evening prayers at the religious place of worship asked the villagers to turn the music down. The villagers, celebrating Holi by playing music, allegedly refused to oblige. This resulted in a heated argument which turned into a communal issue within a few minutes,” explained the officials, adding that villagers from both groups sustained injuries in the clash.
An official on ground said that they were stationed at the place, located about a kilometre from Chengicherla crossroad, since Sunday night. “These two groups have had minor issues in the past but it had not flared up to this level so far,” he said.
Senior police officials rushed to the spot and counselled members of both the communities and after taking complaints from both the groups, the police registered two cases against each of them and started a probe.
