Tumakuru: Verbal duel breaks out between Congress, BJP workers during school inauguration

Tumakuru: Congress and the BJP workers almost came to blows over the latter sporting saffron shawls to the inaugural function of Dr. B R Ambedkar Residential School on Friday, police said. According to the police, the incident occurred at Kolala in Koratagere Taluk in the presence of Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra and the Koratagere MLA G Parameshwara.

A BJP leader, aspiring to contest the upcoming Assembly election, came with his supporters with saffron shawls to take part in the function.

The Congress activists, who had accompanied Parameshwara, objected to the shawls by saying the inauguration was not a political one and that the saffron cloth should be removed, sources in the BJP said.

This led to a verbal duel between the workers of both parties, which degenerated into almost fisticuffs, they said. Soon, the police intervened and defused the tension.

Later, the partymen started sloganeering against one another.