Groups clash in Bardoli for credit; 15 hurt

Surat: At least 15 people suffered multiple injuries when two groups came to blows in Bardoli on Thursday on the issue of missing names from the plaque placed under the idol of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj inaugurated a day earlier by BJP leaders. The groups chased and hit each other with hockey sticks and blunt wooden objects on a public road at Dhamdod Naka in Bardoli.
The groups fought with each other on Tuesday night as well but no action was taken by police then. Both groups want names of their leaders to be inscribed on the plaque. The arguments turned violent on Tuesday but no offence was lodged .
After the idol was inaugurated on Wednesday, the argument over names continued and it turned violent when around 25 people from each group reached the spot. They attacked each other with sticks and hockey sticks. They pelted each other with stones as well.
"Police reached the spot and controlled the situation. We have started the process to register the offence and to identify those involved in the clash," a police officer said.