ANANTAPUR: Devotees from Karnataka and owners of petty shops clashed at Srisailam late on Thursday, leaving at least two devotees with serious injuries and several shops destroyed.
Sources said the issue began as a quarrel between a group of devotees who had walked to the temple town from Karnataka and a tea vendor. This escalated when locals attacked the devotees. Following this, a large number of the devotees attacked petty shops and damaged vehicles. The tea shop where the quarrel began was allegedly set on fire.
Police rushed the spot and dispersed the mobs. The injured persons were shifted to Sunnipenta Hospital.
DSP Sruthi rushed the spot and spoke to both groups. The pontiff Jagadguru Chennasiddarama Panditharadya Swamiji expressed concern over the incidents and met the devotees from Karnataka. The collector met those injured and also spoke to the devotees from Karnataka.
More than 500 police personnel were deputed for the Ugadi Utsavalu in the temple town but have proved to be inadequate in view of the large number of devotees and simmering tensions between them and the locals.
