Uttar Pradesh: Bulandshahr tense after 4 temples vandalised, miscreants still at large

In Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr, miscreants ransacked four temples at Baral village in the wee hours on Thursday, which led to protest by the villagers. The local residents also demanded security of all the temples in the nearby areas. Senior officials of district administration reached the spot and PAC has been deployed in the village. The accused are still at large.

Villagers gathered in large numbers to protest

The temples which were ransacked in the Baral village were several decades old. One of them existed for over 100 years. The miscreants barged in five temples located in a complex and desecrated over a dozen idols. Workers of Hindu outfits and the locals gathered in large numbers, leading the officials to seal the temple complex. The officials promised the local residents of arresting the miscreants soon. The Superintendent of Police, Bulandshaher City (SP City), Surendra Nath Tiwari said that some "anti -social elements" who wanted to vitiate the atmosphere of the village ransacked the temples.

The local residents of the area informed that the incident took place on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. The devotees were shocked to see the idols broken when they reached the temple on Thursday morning. They then called the villagers who were shocked to see the idols of the deities desecrated. Police reached the spot even as workers of Hindu outfits started to gather as the news spread like wild fire in the neighbouring villages. To assuage the angry protestors, officials assured that new idols would be installed soon.

Temples were built in pre-independence era

President of the Hindu Action Army, Ami Tomar expressed grief and anger that one of the temples badly damaged was over 100 years old. The Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Sadar, too said that all the temples were constructed in the pre-Independence era. A team of forensic department and police officials inspected the site and collected evidence. He said that the Station House Officer (SHO), Gulawathi has been asked to lodge an FIR and take action.