Chandigarh, January 24: A case of sacrilege by a youth has come to light in the historic Kali Mata Temple in Patiala, Punjab.
During the evening ‘aarti’, the young man crossed the iron grill and reached the idol of the mother. The priests and other helpers caught him and handed them over to the police. Some people present in the temple premises also beat up the accused. The police are probing the matter.
The role of Maharaja Patiala in the construction and restoration of this temple has been important. The historic Kali Mata Temple in Patiala is visited by devotees throughout the day. A young man came to the temple on Monday evening. After bowing down in front of the idol of Mata Rani, he stepped on the Golak and climbed on the seat of Mata Rani and clung to the idol. The ‘pundits’ standing there to offer ‘bhog’ pushed him down and the people present there started beating him. Meanwhile, there was a stampede there.
Immediately after the information of the incident, the police officers reached the spot and took the youth into custody.
Inspector Bikram Singh Brar apprised that we are investigating the matter. A man has not been identified yet. After the incident, representatives of Hindu organizations gathered outside the temple and staged a sit-in.
Hindu leader Gaggi Pandit has threatened that if the police do not act, he along with his associates will commit suicide outside the temple. The administration has been given twenty-four hours from their side.
Meanwhile, former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh condemned the matter and said that efforts are being made to spoil the atmosphere of Punjab by carrying out such incidents. The Election Commission should take cognizance of this and take action.
