After the reopening of a temple in Sambhal last week, a Hindu group has now demanded the opening of another temple discovered in Varanasi’s Madanpura area of Uttar Pradesh. Following the demand by the group, the Varanasi district administration is gathering details about the temple which is situated in a Muslim-majority area and police have been deployed at the spot to ensure law and order.
The Sanatan Raksha Dal have claimed that the two-century-old Shiva temple has remained locked for nearly 70 years and has sought its opening for prayers. The matter was reportedly brought to light after a photograph of the locked temple gate surfaced on social media, prompting the Hindu group to visit the site and flag their demand to the district administration.
Ajay Sharma, State President of Sanatan Raksha Dal, visited the site on Monday to get the lock opened and stated the organisation’s request to get permission to open the temple and allow prayers.
“The district administration has been informed about the temple, and they are reviewing records to make a decision. All legal procedures will be followed before arriving at any conclusion,” Indian Express quoted Varanasi Deputy Commissioner of Police Gaurav Banswal as saying.
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh: A locked structure, appearing to be a temple, found in a residential area of Varanasi. Police personnel deployed around the temple. Details awaited. pic.twitter.com/502swutXLh
— ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2024
The DCP also stated that a police team was deployed at the location as a precautionary measure. The move comes after a survey at the Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal turned violent on November 24, resulting in the deaths of four persons.
Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya has reacted to the matter saying that wherever temple is buried, it will be found and puja will be performed there.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Shahabuddin, the owner of the place where the temple is located, told ABP News that there is no issue if anyone visits the place and worships peacefully. “There is a demand for regular worship in the name of Siddheshwar Mahadev Temple,” he said.
He also said that his forefathers owned this land for hundreds of years and nobody objected to people visiting the place for worship. “Anyone can come and worship here peacefully, we have no objection but the reality is that a large number of Hindu brothers also live here but they have never talked about doing worship here. But outsiders are deliberately raising this issue. We are people who believe in Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb,” he said.
BREAKING | वाराणसी के मदनपुरा क्षेत्र में कई वर्षों से बंद मंदिर को खुलवाने पहुंचे हिंदू संगठन के लोग
देखिए ‘आगे का एजेंडा’ @romanaisarkhan के साथ @nishant1994cha1 | https://t.co/smwhXUROiK#Varanasi #Temple #UttarPradesh #LatestNews pic.twitter.com/3Ed0cHqntY
— ABP News (@ABPNews) December 17, 2024
The locals also told ABP News that people used to visit the place for darshan earlier as well and that the matter was being blown out of proportion. They said that the government was deliberately trying to prioritise this issue to divert public’s attention from other crucial issues.
Pramod Kumar Pandey, Station Officer of the Dasaswamedh police station, said te temple’s wall is adjacent to a house owned by a businessman and that it has not suffered any damage.
Meanwhile, a local resident said the temple has been locked for a long time and has not seen any visitors for prayers, Indian Express reported.
