BJP Protests After Man's Indecent Behaviour At Hyderabad Temple

Tension prevailed in Hyderabad's Safilguda on Sunday as members of the BJP and several pro-Hindu organisations staged a massive protest at the Katta Maisamma Temple, following the arrest of a 26-year-old man for unlawful entry and indecent behaviour outside the temple gate.

Videos showed the man defecating outside the temple's entry, and a crowd gathering and beating up the man.

Protesters gathered at the temple, raising slogans and demanding the highest level of punishment for the accused Altaf. Local leaders claimed that such incidents are becoming a more frequent in the state and mere arrests are no longer a sufficient deterrent.

Visiting the temple to express solidarity with the devotees, Telangana BJP chief N Ramchander Rao launched a scathing attack on the state government and how the police is handling the case. He dismissed speculation that the accused might be mentally unstable.

"We are hearing the same old narrative that the accused is 'mentally imbalanced'. This is not an isolated incident. In recent times, we have seen 5 to 6 such desecrations across Telangana," Rao said. "These are deliberate attempts to hurt Hindu sentiments and disturb communal peace."

The BJP president expressed deep concern over the safety of religious places and the "silence" of the Congress-led government and the BRS have remained silent on the issue. "Hindus in the state are under threat, and the BJP will not sit idle. We will protect their rights," he said.

While acknowledging human rights, Rao argued that when religious sentiments are repeatedly targeted to incite communal violence, the police must take extreme measures. "The only way to stop these recurring incidents is for the police to carry out an 'encounter' or provide such severe punishment that no one dares to repeat this. Otherwise, these attacks will never stop," he said.

In response to the protests, the Neredmet Police have deployed heavy forces around the Katta Maisamma Temple and surrounding areas of Safilgudi to prevent any further escalation.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Malkajgiri Zone, reiterated the appeal for calm, stating that the law would take its course and that the accused is currently in judicial remand. He urged political groups and the public to cooperate with the ongoing investigation and refrain from any actions that could compromise public order.

He added that altaf, a vegetable seller, has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days and it is being verified if he is mentally unstable.

Additional DCP (North) P Ashok told NDTV an SIT is being constituted to verify any conspiracy angle.