Broken idols found in Saharanpur, Bijnore; buffalo carcass in Muzaffarnagar temple

Muzaffarnagar ASP Alok Priyadarshi said in both cases, FIRs have been lodged against unidentified assailants but no arrests have been made so far. Heavy police force have been deployed in the village, which has an almost equal population of Hindus and Muslims.

On Saturday morning, locals found parts of buffalo carcass inside the temple and the idol of lord ‘Nandi’ missing. As news spread, locals gathered outside the temple. A police team was rushed to the spot, which and tried to remove the carcass.

However, villagers gheroed a police constable who entered the temple to remove the carcass.

Following this, senior administration and police officials rushed to the spot. The protest ended after the officials assured that the accused would soon be arrested. Local police outpost in-charge Rajendra Giri was removed from his post.

Satyapal Pal, district BJP president said that Union MoS for Agriculture and local BJP MP Sanjeev Balyan had visited Parsauli on Saturday and met locals.

On December 15, parts of buffalo carcass, along with an inflammatory message referring to Islamic State, was inscribed on the walls of another temple in Parsauli. Bhudhana SHO Anand Kumar Mishra said they are probing whether there is any connection between the two incidents.

Meanwhile, at Badauli village of Saharanpur, locals protested after they found three idols of a temple broken on Friday evening.

When a police team rushed to the spot and tried to remove broken idols, locals stopped them. On Saturday morning, an FIR was filed against unidentified person at Nagal police station. The protest ended after senior police officers assured that the accused will be arrested within 24 hours.

On Sunday, Sompal (35) — a resident of Badauli village — was arrested and produced before the court, which sent him to judicial custody.
Nagal SHO Devendra Yadav said Sompal has confessed to the crime. “During questioning, Sompal, a daily wage labourer, said he broke the idols after having an argument with his father at home,” he added.

In Bijnore, unidentified assailant broke an idol in a temple located at near Ram Leela Maidan in Kotwali area. A case has been filed against unidentified person.

If culprits not arrested, Shiv Sena set to hold Hindu mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar

Shiv Sena has announced that it will hold a Hindu Mahapanchayat in Muzaffarnagar district, after animal carcass were found inside two temples at Parasauli village in Budhana area within a week.

While the BJP local unit has shut local markets for two days against the first incident, the party has now announced that it will launch an agitation if the accused were not arrested even after recurrence of the incident.

“The Hindu Mahapanchayat will be held in Muzaffarnagar if the police fail to arrest the culprits trying to disturb the atmosphere in the district by putting animal carcass at Hindu religious places… A delegation of Shiv Sena’s western UP unit members will meet the district magistrate on Monday and submit a memorandum demanding action in these incidents,” Shiv Sena state head Anil Singh said.

He added that he has told senior police officers about the agitation. “Workers from across the state will be called for the mahapanchayat.

They will be asked to prepare for the event after a meeting between party leaders and administration officials,” said Singh.

BJP district president Satyapal Pal said while carcass of a cow was found in a temple on Friday, the carcass of a buffalo was found on Monday last week. “Parasauli has mixed a population with considerable presence of both Hindus and Muslims. Hence, tension prevails in the village after these incidents,” he added.

Pal said the matter was sensitive also because Parasauli is adjacent to Jhola village, where victims of Muzaffarnagar riots — who are Muslims — have been rehabilitated.