Unidentified persons threw pieces of meat in the compound of a temple in Sikka village of the Shamli district in Uttar Pradesh, sparking tensions in the region. The incident came to light at around 5 am on Friday morning when a woman entered the temple to offer prayers.
According to reports, dollops of meat were hurled at 11 places around Bhumiya Kheda in Sikka village in what appeared as a deliberate attempt to vitiate communal harmony in the region. Officials of the local administration and police reached the spot and ensured that the pieces of meat were removed from the temple premises and the compound was cleaned.
Anger and resentment swept the region as outraged people hit the streets protesting against the desecration of the temple and demanding the arrest of the miscreants responsible for it.
The incident came in the wake of an annual festival that included Havan Yagya and other assorted religious rituals organised in the temple. Every year, the villagers celebrate the festival with great pomp. This year too, elaborate preparations were made to celebrate the festival and perform rituals marking the festivities.
However, on Thursday night, anti-social elements scattered pieces of meat at 11 places around Bhumiya Kheda to spoil the communal atmosphere. Apart from this, pieces of meat were also thrown on the main road of Bhumiya Kheda.
No sooner did the woman discover pieces of meat strewn inside the revered temple compound, than she informed the temple authorities, who in turn called the police. ASP OP Singh along with Adarsh Mandi police station, CO City Jitendra Kumar reached the spot along with the police force to investigate the incident. Pieces of meat were removed from the temple compound and a police team was deployed to keep the situation under control.
An investigation has also been launched into the matter. The police have taken a sample of meat for investigation. The ASP said that the incident is being seriously investigated. Strict action will be taken against the culprits. When probed about similar incidents of desecration of temples in Kairana, the police official said that the pattern emerging from such incidents does point to a systematic attempt to disrupt communal harmony in the state.
थाना आदर्शमंडी क्षेत्रांतर्गत हुई घटना के संबंध में अपर पुलिस अधीक्षक शामली की बाइट। @Uppolice @PrashantK_IPS90 @adgzonemeerut @digsaharanpur @dgpup pic.twitter.com/MKF1kPt86T
— Shamli police (@PoliceShamli) September 2, 2022
The police have also sought the help of the intelligence department to nab the culprits who tried to disturb the communal harmony in the region by throwing pieces of meat inside the temple compound. Village head Siyaram Sharma told media that there was a program of havan in Bhumiya Kheda scheduled for Saturday.
