Unidentified persons vandalised idols after barging in a local temple during intervening night of Monday and Tuesday ahead of Mahashivratri, in Sahnewal area. Various Hindu outfits staged a protest against the incident seeking arrest of the accused on Tuesday.
Following the protest, the Sahnewal police lodged an FIR against unidentified accused for hurting religious sentiments and initiated investigation.
Hindu organisations gave an ultimatum of four days to the police to trace the accused. They said if the accused were not arrested within the given time, they would stage protests and hand over the damaged idols to the commissioner of police and deputy commissioner to mark their protest.
Shiv Sena Punjab chairman Rajiv Tandon said the matter came to light on Tuesday morning when the priest came to the temple and saw the damaged idols. He informed the police and minutes later, various Hindu leaders reached there and staged a protest.
Tandon said as Mahashivratri festival is around the corner, anti-social elements have vandalised the idols deliberately to hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus and to instigate them with an intention to disturb law and order situation in the city.
He also added that it is not a first such incident. Earlier, ahead of inauguration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, anti-social elements had thrown severed head of a calf on Chandigarh Road with intention to hurt their sentiments. Later, a leg of a calf was also found in the area and the police failed to trace the accused.
{{/usCountry}}He also added that it is not a first such incident. Earlier, ahead of inauguration of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, anti-social elements had thrown severed head of a calf on Chandigarh Road with intention to hurt their sentiments. Later, a leg of a calf was also found in the area and the police failed to trace the accused.
{{/usCountry}}Sahnewal police station SHO inspector Guljinder Singh said a case under Section 295a of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been lodged against unidentified accused. The police are scanning CCTVs to identify the accused.