A Shiva Mandir was vandalised by a mob in South 24 Parganas in West Bengal on Tuesday after Hindus objected to encroachment of temple land. The clash then escalated as the mob attacked police with stones and bricks, and vandalised several vehicles and shops in the area. Several people including police personnel have been injured in stone pelting.
The incident took place in Maheshtala near Rabindra Nagar Police Station in Budge Budge area. Recently, the Hindus in the area noticed that the pond inside the local Shiva Mandir premises was gradually being filled with soil to encroach it. The locals had filed complaint with authorities regarding this, but no action was taken.
On Tuesday, some Muslims tried to set up some fruit shops on the encroached land of the temple. Seeing this, the Hindus in the area prevented them from doing so. This led to a communal clash between the two sides, which soon turned violent.
The Muslim mob then proceeded to vandalise the temple, and threw stones and bricks at it. When police from the nearby police station arrived, they were also attacked by the mob, escalating the situation. Soon, the entire area looked like as if was hit by a massive disaster, filling the entire area with stones, bricks and ruins of vandalised items.
According to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, the mob attacked the sacred Tulsi Manch, nearby Hindu shops, homes, apart from the temple. Stones and bricks were thrown at the temple, damaging installations.
Diamond Harbour Model
— Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) June 11, 2025
The disgraceful incident of vandalism at the Shiva Temple in Ward No. 7, Maheshtala, under Metiabruz Assembly constituency, near Rabindra Nagar Police Station is simply unacceptable.
Miscreants had illegally encroached upon Temple Committee land, set up… pic.twitter.com/QUBSQxKYhK
He said that the incident took place just a stone’s throw distance from the Rabindra Nagar Police Station, but the police did nothing to stop the mob. “The Police simply couldn’t block the vandals and the entire episode happened in the presence of Police,” he wrote on X.
He also posted a video, where a huge crowd protesting can be seen. The video also shows the vandalised temple, and the police station can be seen in front of it on the opposite side of the road. A local Hindu said in the video that the mob also asked the Hindus to shut down the temple. He added that the temple will remain open.
The mob pelted stones and bricks at the police, and vandalised several vehicles on the road, apart from nearby shops. One two-wheeler belong to a cop was set on fire, and several other police vehicles were vandalised. A policeman said that they were outnumbered by the mob, and therefore could not do anything in the beginning. He said that several cops were injured in stone pelting, including a female constable. As per reports, stones and bricks were pelted at the police from the rooftops of the nearby buildings.
Police fired tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. Additional police forces and the RAF were rushed to the spot to control the situation. But the frenzied mob didn’t relent, and they continued to attack the police. Due to the gravity of the situation, the police were forced to retreat.
Later more police forces arrived, and the situation was brought under control. However, sporadic incidents of stone pelting still continues. Even the vehicles on the police reaching the spot are being targeted. Large number of police forces are being sent from Kolkata.
