Close on the heels of Abdul Nazir Madhani'sarrival in Kerala and the royal treatment meted out to him by the Jehadi-friendly CPM, the Islamic extremists have destroyed the main entrance door of the 2500-year-old, Mahadeva temple at Angadippuram in Malappuram District.
The Angadippuram temple was totally destroyed during Tipu Sultan'sinvasion of Kerala, which was brutalised by rape, loot, mass murders, conversion to Islam under threat of sword and wanton destruction of temples.
When efforts by RSS were made in 1960s to rebuild the temple, the then CPM Chief Minister E.M.S. Namboodiripad (who gifted a Muslim-majority district, Malappuram, to Kerala) tried to hand over the temple to Archaeological Department. Owing to strong protests by RSS and Jana Sangh, which was supported by Kerala Gandhi and leading Congressman stalwart K. Kelappan, E.M.S. handed it over to Malabar Devaswom Board. The temple was built by ?rupee one? collections by RSS cadres all over Kerala.
In 1984, a huge entrance (Gopuram) with temple murals, idols and huge ?sandalwood? doors complete with carvings of gods and goddesses was consecrated.
Even after Kerala is yet to recover from the Onam festival hangover, the jehadis struck at Angadippuram temple in the early hours, 3 am, on August 31. A person going by auto saw the huge left entrance door burning wildly. He immediately informed the police and fire force. Simultaneously, the temple bell was also rung and thousands of Hindus, men women and children, old and young and RSS cadres rushed to the spot. By the time the fire was put out, the entire eight-metre-long, two metre-wide, sandalwood door, with carvings of ?Dashavatar? worth several lakhs was totally destroyed. The adjacent door and building area were also partially destroyed in the impact of the huge fire.
Police, dog-squad and forensic experts rushed to the area and a can used for buying kerosene to gut the door was discovered.
Meanwhile, the devotees led by RSS cadres squatted on the main road and chanted Shivnam. Traffic on the Malappuram-Palakkad highway came to a standstill with roads choked with vehicles. BJP president P.K. Krishnadas and VHP leader Kummanam Rajasekharan who rushed to the spot blamed the jehadis and the CPM'shobnobbing with Islamic extremists for this tragedy. They said the aim of jehadis was to destroy major temples in Kerala and this is a beginning. ?Sabarimala, Guruvayur etc. are in the jehadis? hit-list.?
Sensing that this will lead to a communal confrontation, Muslim League leaders rushed to the spot and held discussions with RSS leaders and asked them to observe restraint. The CPM Devaswom Minister Sudhakaran and Congress president Ramesh Chennithala also rushed to the spot.
Following assurances of strict probe by police and collector, the Hindus disbursed. A hartal and protest meetings were held all over Kerala by RSS, Hindu Aikya Vedi, etc.
