Vadodara: With Navratri celebrations drawing large crowds, major garba venues in Vadodara witnessed an identity-related dispute at United Way Garba, a scuffle between two groups of women at VNF Garba and a parking protest at LVP Heritage Garba.At United Way Garba in Atladra, a discrepancy between a youth’s Aadhaar card and garba identity card triggered a controversy after Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) members questioned him and handed him over to the police.According to the VHP, the Aadhaar card bore the name Razak Pathan, while the identity card issued by United Way carried the name Ayush Patel.The youth reportedly told VHP members that he worked through an agency. Tarak Patel, chairperson of United Way’s resource mobilisation committee, said the organisation did not directly employ workers and that the youth might have been engaged through a sub-vendor. He said the incident occurred after midnight on Thursday, when most people had left the venue.Atladra police inspector Parth Pastagiya said the youth had been hired by Veda, a security agency responsible for scanning passes.“He has given us a statement claiming that he had submitted all the proper documents but the identity card was issued by the security agency. We are verifying the claims and investigating the matter,” he said.The police are probing the circumstances in which the identity card was issued and who was responsible for issuing the pass or submitting the documents. “The facts will emerge after the inquiry,” he said.At VNF Garba, a dispute between two groups of women escalated into a physical altercation near gate number 2 on Friday night after two women allegedly pushed each other amid the crowd. Other women joined the argument, with members of the groups seen grabbing each other by the hair and exchanging blows.A video of the incident went viral on social media. The altercation briefly disrupted proceedings as people gathered around the groups. Women bouncers and police personnel intervened to separate those involved and bring the situation under control.Meanwhile, participants at LVP Heritage Garba complained of inadequate parking arrangements. Scenes of traffic congestion, heated arguments with the security personnel and constant honking emerged near gate number 4, where the revellers, especially those on two-wheelers, questioned the arrangements, saying they faced difficulties accessing the venue despite paying substantial amounts for passes.The complaints centred on a shortage of parking space and resulting inconvenience near the entry points. Participants urged the organisers to address the problem and put a lasting solution in place.
