Tension in Deoband After Temple Vandalised and Mosque Attacked

Tensions have been running high in Deoband after vandalism on a temple followed by retaliatory attack on a mosque.

Tempers ran high in Deoband on Thursday after a temple in the area was attacked on Wednesday. Police has revealed the suspect belongs to the Muslim community, and is alleged to have vandalised idols of Hindu Gods at the temple, reports The Hindu.

The suspect was caught and beaten up by locals before he was handed over to the police.

The culprit is 21-year-old Sadiq... We have arrested him and recovered the hammer he used to break the statues. He will be tried under the NSA.

Pradeep Kumar, Deoband Senior Superintendent of Police

Communal Tension Intensifies

In retaliation, a mosque at a short distance from the temple was attacked late in the night, on Wednesday. A shed of a shop belonging to a local from the minority community was also set on fire, reports The Times of India.

As communal tensions deepen, the police, fearing the worst, has deployed full force in the area to ensure that the situation doesn’t get out of hand.

Several intelligence teams have been formed to foil any attempt to create communal disturbance. We have also tightened security in the area... Since it is the Kanwariya season, a good number of people are visiting temples. Vandalism could have led to communal violence.

Pradeep Kumar, Deoband Senior Superintendent of Police

However, local politicians have already started milking the issue for their gains. BJP MP Raghav Lakhan Pal has called for a Dadri-style mahapanchayat to be held at the temple on 31 July if the all the accused are not arrested by Sunday.

Source: Times of India, The Hindu