In a shocking incident of attack on Hindu temples by Muslims, as many as 16 Mandirs were vandalised in Darrang district in Assam. The incident took place on Wednesday night, when the temples located in areas around Mangaldoi were vandalised, and the idols were beheaded. Most of the temples are dedicated to Maa Kali. Five accused have been arrested in connection with the attack.
Idols were broken by the miscreants at temples located in the Moamari, Gerimari and Gosaigaon areas near Mangaldoi town. Some of the temples targeted were Gerimari Okhabheti Malou Chuba Shiv Temple, Bihari Basti Kali Mandir, South Bihari Basti Kali Mandir, Na-Nadi Manasa Mandir, 235 No. LP School Kali Mandir, Na-Nadi West Kali Mandir, Moamari Okhabheti Shiv Mandir, Moamari Shiv Mandir, Gerimari Bhutnath Kali Mandir, Chereng Kali Mandir, among others.
In what appeared to be a coordinated attack, miscreants had broken into the temples and beheaded the idols. Other than beheading the idols, other items kept in the temples were also vandalised. All the idols in the village temple are made of clay, making it easier to demolish them. The majority of the targeted temples are Kalli Mandirs.
The vandalisms were spotted on Thursday morning when the priests and local devotees reached the temples for morning rituals. The incident caused sharp tension in the area, and the police were immediately informed. Police teams, including senior officials, reached the locations and convinced the people to maintain peace. Locals allege that the illegal immigrants displaced by ongoing eviction drives were behind the attacks.
Police intensified the investigation, and five accused were arrested on Sunday. They have been identified as Mahir Ali, Shamsul Ali, Mokshed Ali, Jahinur Ali, and Nurzamal Ali. However, it is suspected that more people were involved in the vandalism, as 16 temples located in various places were attacked in a short span of time. The accused were presented before a court after their arrest, and are being questioned by the police.
Locals suspect that it was done as per a planned conspiracy, and urged the police to investigate the call records of the arrested accused, as they might have maintained phone communication during the attack. Police said that technical analysis in relation to the crime will be done. A police officer also said that prima facie the attacks were done as per a well-planned conspiracy, because the temples are located in remote villages and are not known to outsiders.
