A Hindu temple in Kamalpur village, located in Nandigram Block 2 of the Purba Medinipur district, was reportedly vandalized, sparking concerns over religious intolerance in the region. BJP’s national spokesperson Amit Malviya brought the incident to light on Friday, sharing visuals of desecrated Hindu deities on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
In a video shared both by Malviya and BJP Leader Shuvendu Adhikari, the idols of Hindu deities were seen in a vandalized state. According to him, local residents had been engaged in worship at the temple since last Tuesday. However, tensions escalated when the puja and Ram Narayan kirtan continued without interruption.
“Certain individuals—unable to tolerate the chanting of Shri Ram’s name—vandalized the site and desecrated the idols,” Malviya alleged, expressing concern over the attack. He also criticized the response of the local authorities, stating that the police had taken a passive stance regarding the incident.
A widely circulated video of the site also captured a local resident lamenting the alleged inaction of law enforcement. “This is a critical situation… The response of the police is muted… You can see that the cops are not doing anything,” a man was heard saying in the footage. The video also showed a police officer appearing to intimidate the individual recording the visuals of the desecrated temple.
The incident has further fueled political tensions in the state, with the BJP accusing the ruling Trinamool Congress government of failing to protect religious places. Meanwhile, authorities have yet to issue an official statement regarding the alleged vandalism or any subsequent investigation.
Not the First Case of Idol Vandalism in West Bengal…
On March 7, a similar incident occurred in Baruipur city in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, where a Muslim man named Sheikh Indu vandalized the idol of Goddess Shitala and then set it on fire.
Visuals of charred idols and the damaged Hindu temple surfaced on multiple social media platforms. Local residents managed to apprehend Sheikh Indu, who was allegedly responsible for the vandalism and arson attack.
Following the incident, the Baruipur police issued a tweet on March 7, claiming that the accused was a ‘person of unsound mind’ with ‘mental health issues.’
These recurring acts of idol desecration have intensified concerns among the Hindu community in the region, prompting calls for stricter security measures and prompt action by law enforcement authorities.
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