Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 20 : Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar has condemned the lathi charge on protestors at the Shri Muthyalamma Devi temple, criticising the government for targeting those protesting instead of addressing the actual crime.
"Instead of taking serious action against the culprit who vandalised the Mutyalamma idol, the government is targeting those protesting against the crime. I strongly condemn the high-handed behaviour of the police and the lathi charge on Hindu Vahini and BJP members protesting at the Mutyalamma temple," Sanjay stated on X on Saturday.
On the same day, Bandi Sanjay visited the residence of a lathi-charge victim who was injured during the protest in Secunderabad.
Earlier that day, Telangana Police had lathi-charged protestors at the Shri Muthyalamma Devi Temple in Hyderabad, where a large crowd had gathered to protest the alleged vandalism of the temple idol.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal had called for a statewide 'bandh' against the alleged attacks on Hindu temples in Telangana. Several Hindu organisations extended their support to the protests.
These protests reflect growing concerns over the safety of Hindu temples in the state, with demonstrators expressing anger over the alleged desecration of temple idols.
The VHP accused the Telangana government of failing to prevent attacks on Hindu temples, prompting the statewide protest. VHP National Spokesperson Vinod Bansal announced that protests would take place in all district centres across the state.
Hyderabad has already witnessed two separate incidents of vandalism involving Hindu idols, which have sparked protests from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other religious organisations.
The first incident involved the vandalism of a Durga idol at a Puja pandal at Nampally Exhibition Grounds, under the jurisdiction of Hyderabad's Begum Bazar police station. The police reported that the individual responsible was a vagabond and that the act was not deliberate. According to the police, he was searching for food and accidentally disturbed the Prasadam, damaging the idol. However, BJP leaders have called for a detailed investigation.
The second incident, which triggered widespread protests, involved the vandalism of the Muthyalamma temple in Secunderabad's Mandal division. Several BJP leaders, including Union Minister and Telangana BJP President G Kishan Reddy, visited the temple complex and condemned the incident.
One individual was apprehended by locals and handed over to the police. He was later identified as Salman Salim Thakur. Hyderabad police revealed 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.