On Tuesday, several Navagraha idols at a Hanuman temple in Shamshabad were discovered damaged, prompting the detention of a suspect, according to police reports. Local residents gathered to protest the incident, expressing outrage and condemning the act. The temple priest conveyed his distress, urging authorities to take stringent action against those responsible. He recounted that a devotee had alerted him around 6 a.m. about the vandalism, and upon inspection, he found that five Navagraha idols had been affected.
A senior police official stated that teams were dispatched to the site following the report, and an investigation was initiated. One individual has been detained for questioning, and discussions with the local temple committee are ongoing. A case has been filed, and the situation remains calm, the official added. Authorities are currently reviewing CCTV footage from the area as part of their investigation. According to police, the perpetrator was a vagabond who accidentally damaged the idol while searching for food and disturbing the Prasadam. However, BJP leaders are demanding a thorough investigation into the matter.
In a related incident that has also prompted significant protests, the Muthyalamma temple in Secunderabad’s Mandal division was vandalized. Numerous BJP leaders, including Union Minister and Telangana BJP President G Kishan Reddy, visited the temple complex to condemn the act. One suspect was apprehended by locals and subsequently handed over to the police, later identified as Salman Salim Thakur. Police investigations revealed that Thakur had come to the city to participate in a month-long personality development workshop. BJP leaders are now calling for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) inquiry into this incident as well.