Anti-social elements bulldozed a Hindu temple at Mailambadi, near Kuthiravattom, in Kozhikode district, Kerala. The temple, Sri Guru Bhuvaneswari Kurumba Bhagavati Kavu, was smashed with the help of a JCB on January 17.
The temple and associated sacred grove, owned by Shri Sudheer, a native of Mailambadi, were totally destroyed. According to the local residents, a group of Muslims had purchased the adjacent land a few years ago and the same group was behind this atrocious act. They allegedly encroached into the temple land in the midnight and demolished the idols and grove in a bid to attach the piece of land to their property.
In a video, Shri Sudheer said that the Muslim land grabbers wanted him to sell off the property to them. Even though he was offered an amount of Rs 50 Lakh, he refused to sell the temple and grove. He says, he is the owner of the temple, which was handed over to him as a family property. He also said that he himself used to offer pooja there.
The local reports suggest that the temple has been reconstructed with the help of local Hindus. Following nation-wide anti-CAA riots, Hindus have been facing social discrimination and boycott in the various Muslim-dominated areas of the state. Muslim employers have reportedly dismissed several Hindu employees from their job for supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act in Kerala and West Asia. Various Muslim outfits and individuals have called for a boycott of shops and other businesses and services run by Hindu owners. Despite being unreported by the left-leaning Malayalam media, the latest incident of temple vandalism has fuelled Hindu outrage in the state.
