In Uttar Pradesh’s Kannauj district, a case of alleged illegal encroachment of a 200-year-old Shri Jageshwar Nath Shiva temple located in the Bala Peer area by Samajwadi Party leader Kaish Khan has triggered an outrage.
On Thursday (26th December), former BJP MP Subrat Pathak, along with Tirwa MLA Kailash Rajput and local Hindus inspected the said temple and claimed that if the well is excavated the the idols of Hindu deities will be found. He also accused the Samajwadi Party leader of uprooting a Shivling, throwing it into the well and erecting a three-storey construction on the occupied land.
कन्नौज के बालापीर मोहल्ले में सैकड़ों साल पुराने जागेश्वरनाथ महादेव मंदिर पर SP के नेता कैश खान द्वारा कब्जे का मामला, बताया जा रहा है कि आधा मंदिर तोड़कर उस पर अवैध कब्जा किया गया… साथ ही मंदिर के इस हिस्से को एसपी नेता कैश खान ने अपने घर से मिला दिया #Kannauj #SP pic.twitter.com/qghJMJjTDN
— News18 Uttarakhand (@News18_UK) December 26, 2024
Reportedly, when the local people protested against this encroachment by Kaish Khan, the SP leader threatened to implicate them in false cases. After this, councillor Bhura Khan and other local residents complained to BJP leaders in this matter.
Pathak alleged that alleged encroachment and removal of the shivling and other idols by Kaish Khan is a direct attack on the Hindu faith. The former MP met District Magistrate (DM) Shubhrant Kumar Shukla and submitted a memorandum. He demanded strict action against the SP leader who occupied the temple land. The DM assured of appropriate action by investigating the matter.
Meanwhile, Pathak said that if the administration does not take action to free the temple and reinstall the Shivalinga, he along with his supporters will stage a sit-in protest in the Balapir locality. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has also raised demand to clear the temple from encroachment alleging that such incidents hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community.
Meanwhile, SP leader Kaish Khan called these allegations baseless. He said that he had bought this land and the temple was safe. Moreover, he accused the BJP of spoiling the atmosphere.
On the other hand, BJP leaders have accused SDM Sadar Ramkesh of colluding with the Samajwadi Party leader. Former MP Subrat Pathak told the DM that SP leader Kaish Khan has also encroached upon the land of the municipality but the SDM did not take any action even after the complaint. Following this, Kaish Khan took a stay from the court. Pathak accused the SDM Sadar Ramkesh of being involved in the encroachment of the temple land. The SDM, however, said that a false complaint had been made against him.
In this case, District Magistrate Shubhrant Kumar Shukla assured that soon a team of officers will be sent to the spot and an investigation will be conducted. Considering the seriousness of the matter, he has handed over the investigation to ADM Ashish Kumar and said that a report has been sought in two days and strict action will be taken against the culprits.