In an incident hurting Hindu sentiments in Andhra Pradesh, a Nandi idol in a prominent Shiva temple in Kanaparthi Village of the Prakasam district was vandalised. The incident occurred on the intervening night of October 16, Sunday, and October 17, Monday. On Monday morning the matter was brought to the attention of the temple priests.
Authorities in the area said that the unidentified culprits broke into the temple’s premises and vandalised the Nandi idol in an effort to steal it. An investigation has been launched, and the idol has been sent to forensics for further assessment.
“The idol was damaged by unknown people and it is suspected that they were thieves who had entered the temple to steal some properties. We have inspected the CCTV footage and a special team led by the Circle inspector (CI) has been formed to probe the case,” a police official said.
SHOCKING: Nandi idol vandalised in ancient Shiva temple in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district; probe underway https://t.co/1Va5IeVNcS
— Republic (@republic) October 18, 2022
Reportedly, no arrests have been made in the matter till now. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticized the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government over the delay in action against the culprits. “When Hindus were worshipping Lord Mahadeva, his beloved Nandi was found ruthlessly vandalised in Kanaparthi Village of Prakasam district. What are you doing Jagan Mohan Reddy? No action, no arrest, no investigation. Such kind of incidents have happened more than 200 times in this state and not a single culprit has been found,” stated BJP national secretary and Andhra Co-Incharge Sunil Deodhar.
In a highly disturbing incident, when whole world was worshipping #Mahadeva on Monday morning, his beloved #NandiVandalised ruthlessly in Kanaparthi village, Bapatla Dist, AP.
— Sunil Deodhar (@Sunil_Deodhar) October 18, 2022
No action by Anti-Hindu @ysjagan Govt yet.@BJP4Andhra Presi @somuveerraju demands high level enquiry. pic.twitter.com/Ax4nXuTcyb
“You are totally Anti-Hindu Chief minister. Please don’t test the anger of the Hindus in the state. BJP workers on Monday conducted agitation and today’s state president has demanded a high-level inquiry. BJP will not allow this to happen we will go ahead with a strong agitation against all Anti-Hindu activities that are taking place in the state,” Deodhar further added.
Attacks on Hindu temples have increased in the recent past in India and across the globe. On September 27, OpIndia reported that two Muslim ladies were apprehended for vandalising the idol of the goddess Durga at a Navratri pandal in Hyderabad. The women stormed a pandal in the city’s Khairatabad neighbourhood and shattered a part of the Durga idol.
OpIndia also recently reported how ahead of Durga Puja, unknown vandals smashed Durga idols at the Kashipur Sarbajanin Durga Temple in Mehendiganj Upazila in Barisal, Bangladesh.
In another incident on September 8, one Taufeeq Ahmed was arrested for allegedly damaging an idol of a deity at a Hindu temple in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. With a “tilak” on his forehead, Ahmed allegedly entered the temple gates and started smashing the idol of the deity while yelling “Jai Shri Ram.”
