Hyderabad, Oct 2 (IANS): Hyderabad Police arrested a man who allegedly entered a temple and attempted to desecrate an idol in the presence of the priest and devotees on Friday.
The incident occurred at the Santoshi Mata Temple in the Dilsukhnagar area.
In a video that surfaced on social media, a man is seen entering the sanctum sanctorum and throwing a couple of tree branches in front of the idol.
He then walked out of the temple.
The incident occurred while prayers were underway.
Some people caught hold of the man, assaulted him and later handed him over to the police.
The man was identified as Mohammed Ansari.
Police have taken him into custody.
According to the police, Ansari is currently undergoing treatment for mental health issues.
Further investigation is underway.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemned the incident.
The party described it as a “barbaric attack by religious fanatics” on the deity within the sanctum sanctorum.
The BJP alleged that the Revanth Reddy government was in a deep slumber and obsessed with vote-bank politics.
“How many more Hindu temples must fall victim to Congress’s politics of appeasement? In a state where even the idol of Goddess Santoshi Mata lacks protection, what is the value of the self-respect of the majority community?” read a post on the Telangana BJP’s X handle.
The party said the incident was not merely a government failure but reflected what it described as the Congress party’s negligence towards the sentiments of Hindus.
BJP state president N. Ramchander Rao alleged that Mohammed Ansari entered the Santoshi Mata Temple, raised religious slogans, threw sticks at the deity and desecrated it.
“This falls squarely on CM Revanth Reddy and his appeasement politics. He has taken no action against extremists who have been attacking our temples in the past, and this inaction has only emboldened them further,” he said.
BJP floor leader in the Telangana Assembly, Alleti Maheshwar Reddy, also strongly condemned the incident at the Santoshi Mata Temple in Dilsukhnagar.
“Since Revanth Reddy took office as Chief Minister, Telangana has witnessed more than 15 reported incidents of temple vandalism and desecration,” he said.
“With Revanth Reddy holding the Home portfolio, appeasement politics has become the norm, enabling religious radicalism and putting Hindu temples at risk. The safety of devotees and the sanctity of places of worship must be protected. Those responsible must face strict action under the law,” Maheshwar Reddy said.
