New Delhi: The statue of Hindu deity Jogmaya was vandalised at a temple in Karachi Monday.
According to reports, a man, identified as Muhammad Waleed Shabbir, was arrested for desecrating the statue at the Narayan Mandir in Karachi’s old city of Narainpura.
“He was arrested on the complaint of a Hindu man, Mukesh Kumar, who with his wife was at the Narayan Mandir for prayers when they saw this man damaging the statues of Hindu deities with a hammer,” Sarfaraz Nawaz, a senior police officer of the area, said.
Reports also said a few worshippers at the temple saw the accused desecrating the statue and handed him over to the police. They also raised slogans and demanded that the government provide adequate security to Hindus in the region.
BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa condemned the incident and said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was not ready to break his silence on such attacks. He also said he had spoken to a few Hindus in the area, who were crying as they said they had nowhere to go.
“Minorities in Pakistan are living a nightmarish life. They don’t have freedom of religion; their minor daughters are getting forcibly converted & their Govt/PM are not doing anything for their safety”, Sirsa tweeted.
Minorities in Pakistan are living a nightmarish life. They don’t have freedom of religion; their minor daughters are getting forcibly converted & their Govt/PM are not doing anything for their safety@ImranKhanPTI Ji; your silence is rubbing salt on their wounds@ANi @republic pic.twitter.com/pftYtNoOfT
— Manjinder Singh Sirsa (@mssirsa) December 21, 2021
‘Religious intolerance growing in Pakistan’
Several people on Twitter expressed outrage over the incident.
“Another temple desecrated in Pakistan. The attacker says he committed the arson b’coz Hindu Temple is unworthy of being a place of worship. An insignia of religious intolerance growing in Pak& these acts committed in name of Islam is defaming the religion &entire Muslim community”, said one user.
Another temple desecrated in Pakistan. The attacker says he committed the arson b'coz Hindu Temple is unworthy of being a place of worship
An insignia of religious intolerance growing in Pak& these acts committed in name of Islam is defaming the religion &entire Muslim community pic.twitter.com/gozPVBE170
— Fatima Dar (@FatimaDar_jk) December 21, 2021
Political commentator Tarek Fatah said, “The attacker is caught and says he committed the arson because a Hindu Temple is unworthy of being a place of worship.”
Another #Hindu Temple desecrated in Pakistan. The attacker is caught and says he committed the arson because a Hindu Temple is unworthy of being a place of worship.
pic.twitter.com/EnFZ7JN5B7
— Tarek Fatah (@TarekFatah) December 20, 2021
Some other Twitter users called Pakistan a “hell” for minorities and that there was no space for justice in “Imran Khan’s ‘Naya Pakistan”.
Another temple desecrated in #Pakistan. The attacker says he committed the arson b'coz Hindu Temple is unworthy of being a place of worship An insignia of religious intolerance growing in #Pakistan #WasimAkram#نوٹ_بدلیں_پیسہ_نکلواہیں #BreakingNews #BheemlaNayak#Prayagraj pic.twitter.com/TFUdoBTjyr
— Hina Khaliq (@HinaKhaliq3) December 21, 2021
Al#Breaking Another Hindu temple desecrated in Ranchore line, Karachi Pakistan
Attackers justified vandalism saying:
“Temple is unworthy of being a
place of worship”#BreakingNews #Karachi #Pakistan #Usa #Uk #UN #HumanRights #Afghanistan #Chins #Iran pic.twitter.com/QVvVdtjorD
— The HbK (@The5HbK) December 21, 2021
Another #Hindu temple desecrated in #Karachi, #Pakistan.
Religious minorities in Pak live under lamentable conditions.
Vandalism of religious places & murders of minorities become a norm. There is no scope for justice in Imran Khan's NayaPakistan!@kakar_harsha @pakfactsheet pic.twitter.com/YAELMBpZTe
— Ankush Kapoor (@AnkushKpr7) December 21, 2021
Pakistan is hell for minority
Another #Hindu Temple desecrated in Pakistan.
and this types of many cases is regularly happening in #Pakistan #tuesdayvibe #HappyBirthdayTamannaah #HeySinamika #MapMyIndia @sambitswaraj @RSSorg pic.twitter.com/pBmlDk8Fcv
— Imtiyaz Ahamad (@ahamad1_imtiyaz) December 21, 2021
Meanwhile, Sindh’s Minister for Minority Affairs Gyanchand Israni condemned the attack and said a case should be registered against the accused.
Narainpura, the area where the incident occurred, is mostly inhabited by poor, low-income Hindu families.