Telangana: Ayyappa devotee injured in altercation involving atheist Bairi Naresh, police investigate incident

Tension escalated in the otherwise calm town after a verbal duel broke out between Ayyappa devotees and Bairi Naresh, who went to the town on the invitation of an athiests' meeting.

Warangal: An Ayyappa devotee suffered a fracture on his leg after a vehicle in which a known atheist Bairi Nagesh was travelling hit him in Eturu Nagaram town on Monday morning. Tension escalated in the otherwise calm town after a verbal duel broke out between Ayyappa devotees and Bairi Naresh, who went to the town on the invitation of an athiests’ meeting.

Bairi Naresh, had earlier, hit the headlines after his reported controversial remarks against Ayyappa devotees last year.

Reports said Ayyappa devotees gathered at the meeting place and arguments broke out between them and Naresh and when the latter attemped to leave the place in his vehicle a melee ensued, a devotee P Narsing Rao suffered a fracture. Enraged over the incident, the devotees started chasing Naresh’s vehicle who raced towards Mangapet town. As the chase continued, Naresh’s vehicle swerved off the road and Naresh ran away from the place.

Later, Ayyappa devotees lodged a complaint with the police, who registered a case and are investigating.