When the unruly mob engaged in stone pelting  the police lobbed tear gas shells and resorted  to lathi charge to disperse the crowd.

The temple of village deity Kollapuradamma in Padavagere village of Amrituru hobli is situated on a land belonging to one Papaiah since time immemorial.

 It was about three years ago that the priest of the temple passed away. His funeral was performed near the temple and a tomb was built.

After the death of the priest, some Congress leaders including  Papaiah, Chennaiah, Govindaraju and Javaregowda started organising utsav and other rituals. 

Some JD(S) leaders who were reportedly unhappy  over the rituals practiced during the utsav, constructed an alternative temple in another part of the village and tried to shift the deity there.

However, their attempt went futile and thereafter the issue was taken to the Court.

The Court issued orders to continue worshipping the deity in the old temple itself. Since the land surrounding the temple belonged to JD(S) leaders they fenced the temple and ensured that nobody visited the temple.

Amidst this, on Wednesday a group of Congress members entered the temple premises for taking up renovation work. The police, who realised the sensitivity of the issue were present on the spot.

Even then, hundreds of JD(S) members who gathered there started pelting stones to which Congress members retaliated. When situation went out of control Police SI Rangaswamy, CPI Balaramegowda and staff resorted to lathi charge and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the mob.

Section 144
District superintendent of police Dr P S Harsha and tahsildar B Shivaswamy arrived on spot to review the situation. Prohibitory orders have been clamped in the village under section 144.

Over 40 people have been arrested in this connection so far.