Saturday, February 1, 2025
HomeNews ReportsGauri Shankar temple closed for 44 years repopended in Moradabad, temple’s priest was killed...

Gauri Shankar temple closed for 44 years repopended in Moradabad, temple’s priest was killed by Muslim mob in 1980 riots

It has been revealed that the temple's priest was killed during the 1980 riots. The Muslim mob vandalised the idols. Following this, the temple was closed.

After Sambhal, Kashi, and Kanpur, the Gauri Shankar Temple in Moradabad, which had been closed for 44 years, reopened on 30th December 2024. During an excavation on Monday, the government discovered Shivling, Nandi, and Hanumanji’s broken idols.

It has been revealed that the temple’s priest was killed during the 1980 riots. The Muslim mob vandalised the idols. Following this, the temple was closed. However, seven days ago, the deceased priest’s grandson filed an application with Moradabad DM Anuj Singh to reopen the temple. The local people had also staged a demonstration before the collectorate and demanded the temple’s reopening and restoration.

The police and administration team had previously visited a Muslim-dominated Jhabbu ka Nala Mohalla in the Nagfani area, where the temple was later found.

After this, DM Anuj sought a report from the Deputy District Magistrate Ram Mohan Meena regarding the temple. On December 27, the Sub-District Magistrate collected information from the people associated with the temple. It was found that a transgender named Mohini used to clean the temple. It came to light that some walls were built illegally making it difficult to reach the temple.

Following the riots in 1980, the temple’s sanctum sanctorum was blocked off by the construction of a wall. On Monday, these walls were demolished amid strict security, uncovering the temple.

At around 1.30 pm on Monday, Lord Hanuman’s statue started appearing on the wall of the temple. There is a place for Shivling on the ground, however, the Shivling is missing while Nandi is installed nearby. Some more statues have emerged on the wall, but they are broken. As per the administration, now the statues will be secured here and arrangements will be made for their worship.

According to Seva Ram, his great-grandfather Bhimsen used to take care of the temple and also perform puja. However, in the riots of 1980, a Muslim mob allegedly killed Bhimsen and his body was also not found. It is said that after killing the priest Bhimsen, the frenzied mob threw his body into the fire.

After this incident, the rest of Bhimsen’s family settled in Linepar area. Following this, the temple was also closed and gradually, the idols of the temple also disappeared. Sevaram has complained to the DM that whenever he goes to open this temple, Muslims do not let him open the doors of the temple. Moreover, he is threatened with dire consequences if he opens the doors.

1980 Moradabad Riots

Back in 1980, communal riots erupted in Moradabad that killed at least 83 people and left 112 others injured. Decades later, on August 8th 2023, the Uttar Pradesh government-led by Yogi Adityanath tabled an inquiry report into the 1980 Moradabad riots

The 496-page report submitted by a one-member commission of Allahabad High Court Judge MP Saxena in May 1983, which was kept under wraps for nearly 4-decades, busts the narrative that has been woven around the riots so far, pinning the beginnings of the violence to lies being spread about pigs being set loose among those offering namaz at the Eidgah in Moradabad. The report delves into the root causes and their domino effect leading to the 1980 riots.

The report established that the communal frenzy was a result of a pre-planned conspiracy hatched by Muslim League and Congress leaders. Refuting the entire ‘pig entering the Eidgah in Moradabad during the Eid namaz’ angle, the reports stated that a group of criminals supported by Muslim League leaders were responsible for the massacre.

the Moradabad riot was planned by local leaders of the Muslim League led by Shamim Ahmad and Hamid Hussain alias Ajji and their supporters. The report blames the political ambitions of Dr Shamim Ahmed Khan, who revived the Indian Union Muslim League in Uttar Pradesh and was trying to take on Hafiz Mohammed Siddiqui of the Congress Party.

The report mentions in detail the written testimony of as many as six Hindus who were present at the time of the riots and interestingly each testimony suggests that the massacre was not spontaneous but a premeditated one. The details shared by these eyewitnesses bust the popular narrative around the riots so far that pins the beginnings of the violence to rumours being spread about pigs being set loose among those offering namaz at the Eidgah in Moradabad.

In the year 1980, when Congress was at the helm of affairs in the state and at the centre, Moradabad’s politics was such that Dr Shamim Ahmed Khan had revived the Muslim League and was trying to take on Hafiz Mohammed Siddiqui of the Congress Party.

In March 1980, a Dalit Valmiki community girl, residing in Indira Chowk locality in Moradabad, was kidnapped by local Muslim youths led by one Mohammed Riyaz and gangraped. She had gone to clean a building.

Dr Shamim Ahmed Khan, in order to raise his status among the Muslims, sided with the accused. The Moradabad police, however, launched a probe and after much deliberation rescued the Dalit teenager and handed her over to her family. Local Muslims in the region were so enraged by the police’s timely intervention and prompt action against the accused that they started formulating a plan to exact revenge on the police and Dalit community members.

Join OpIndia's official WhatsApp channel

  Support Us  

Whether NDTV or 'The Wire', they never have to worry about funds. In name of saving democracy, they get money from various sources. We need your support to fight them. Please contribute whatever you can afford

OpIndia Staff
OpIndia Staffhttps://www.opindia.com
Staff reporter at OpIndia

Related Articles

Trending now

- Advertisement -