Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal

Bantwal, Oct 22: It is quite common to see different types of costumes during Navaratri. However, an incident took place on B C Road where veteran artiste Ashok Shetty Sarapadi stopped a person for wearing a Yakshagana costume.

The video of the verbal altercation between Ashok Shetty Sarapadi and the man in Yakshagana attire has gone viral. The person who is said to be a native of Davanagere was dressed as an Yakshagana artiste near Brahmashree Narayana Mandir on B C Road on Saturday. The artiste Ashok Shetty Sarapadi who arrived at the place then was seen in the video asking the man to remove the Yakshagana costume.

"Do you know that we worship Yakshagana here? Are you begging for alms in disguise?," he asked to which the Davanagere man countered by saying that if he had done something wrong he might have got beaten up.

The viral video also shows a footage where the man is threatened that his arms and legs would be broken if he did not remove the costume. As soon as the video went viral about the incident of disrobing of a disguised person, heated discussions have started on the social media.

While one group says it is not right to insult the art of Yakshagana while on the other hand, there is a cry that it was unfair and cruel to forcibly disrobe the Davanagere man.

The district administration should issue a circular stating which are the costumes to be worn, a section of public felt. Since there is no such circular, no one has the right to stop anyone in the name of wearing unofficial costumes, it was felt.