Telangana police lathi-charge protesters at Muthyalamma Devi temple in Hyderabad
Oct 20, 2024
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 20 : Telangana Police lathi-charged protestors at the Shri Muthyalamma Devi Temple in Hyderabad on Saturday, where a large crowd had gathered to protest the alleged vandalism of the temple idol.
Earlier in the day, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal called for a statewide 'bandh' against the alleged attacks on Hindu temples in Telangana. Several Hindu organisations extended their support to the protests.
The protests come amid rising concerns over the safety of Hindu temples in the state, with demonstrators expressing anger over the alleged vandalism of temple idols.
The statewide protest was called by the VHP, alleging that the Telangana government had been negligent in preventing attacks on Hindu temples in the state.
VHP National Spokesperson Vinod Bansal stated that the protests were scheduled to take place in all district centres across the state.
Hyderabad had already witnessed two separate incidents involving the vandalization of Hindu idols, sparking protests from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other religious organisations.
The first incident involved the vandalization of a Durga idol at a Puja pandal at Nampally Exhibition Grounds, within the jurisdiction of Hyderabad's Begum Bazar police station. Police reported that the person responsible was a vagabond, and the act was not deliberate. According to the police, he was hungry and, while searching for food, accidentally disturbed the Prasadam, damaging the idol. However, BJP leaders have called for a detailed investigation.
The second incident, which triggered widespread protests, was the vandalism of the Muthyalamma temple in Secunderabad's Mandal division. Many BJP leaders, including Union Minister and Telangana BJP President G Kishan Reddy, visited the temple complex and condemned the incident.
One individual was caught by locals and handed over to the police. He was later identified as Salman Salim Thakur. Hyderabad police later found that Thakur had arrived in the city earlier this month to attend a month-long personality development workshop. BJP leaders have demanded an NIA investigation into the case.
