By: Dhanya Rajendran, Shivani Kava
An image of the Hindu deity Ganesha inside a police van has stirred outrage on social media, with right-wing groups and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders accusing the Karnataka police and the state government of disrespecting religious sentiments. Some falsely linked the photo to the recent communal incident in Mandya. But what really happened, and why was the Ganesha idol placed inside the police van?