Hyderabad Police have detained a man after he allegedly struck the idol of Goddess Santoshi with sticks at a temple near the Dilsukhnagar Bus Depot on Friday. A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

A video of the incident has been going viral on social media platforms. In the video, the man is seen striking the deity’s idol with sticks inside the Santoshi Mata Temple, following which people at the spot intervene and catch him. They later hand him over to the police.

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The man has been identified as Mohammed Ansari. Police are examining CCTV footage from the temple and surrounding areas to establish the sequence of events and track his movements before the alleged attack. Officials are also speaking to temple staff and eyewitnesses as part of the investigation.

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Police are yet to establish why Ansari allegedly entered the temple and attacked the idol. He is also undergoing a medical examination and mental health assessment as investigators look into the circumstances surrounding his actions.

BJP Condemns Temple Incident

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) condemned the incident, describing it as a “barbaric attack by religious fanatics” on the deity within the sanctum sanctorum.

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Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao also criticised the state government and sought accountability over the incident. In a post on X, Rao alleged that the incident was linked to what he described as the government’s “appeasement politics”.

“Emboldened by CM Revanth Reddy’s remarks dividing Hindu gods at the direction of Rahul-Priyanka, Mohammed Ansari enters the Santoshi Mata temple, raises religious slogans, throws sticks at the deity and desecrates it. This falls squarely on CM Revanth Reddy and his appeasement politics. He has taken no action against extremists who have been attacking our temples in the past, and this inaction has only emboldened them further,” Rao wrote.

Goshamahal MLA T Raja Singh called for an impartial investigation and strict action if the accused is found guilty. He also questioned security arrangements at Hindu temples and the protection of devotees in Telangana.