Staff Reporter
Valpoi
A tense situation was witnessed at the Bhumika temple in Poriem in Sattari taluka on Wednesday as a clash between two groups left over 25 devotees and policemen injured.
According to sources, a dispute over the annual Kalotsav celebrations at the temple led to the clash, with one community alleging unequal rights over the rituals.
Due to the existing tension between the two groups feuding over management of the Bhumika Devasthan, policemen were deployed at the site to avert any untoward incident. Violence was witnessed at the temple last month too when a cop
was injured in a stone-pelting incident.
In a bid to prevent a law and order situation, police allowed one group to enter the temple on Wednesday. However, the group later refused to come out of the temple unless it received an assurance of the right to perform rituals at the temple. This led to a standoff and no worshippers were allowed to enter the temple.
The situation escalated when the other group that also included women marched to the temple demanding that the first group be removed from the temple premises.
Despite efforts by the police to diffuse the situation, the protesting group refused to leave the place, leading to a violent clash between the two groups. Stones and other objects were thrown at police and other individuals, resulting in several injuries and hospitalisation.
A large police force was soon deployed at the temple to bring the situation under control. Devotees were later allowed to visit the temple in the afternoon to seek the deity’s blessings following police intervention.
