On the evening of Wednesday, May 8, the Prerna Peeth Nishkalki Temple located in Pirana, Ahmedabad, was subjected to a vicious attack by an Islamist mob. Footage of the incident quickly spread across social media platforms, depicting numerous individuals adorned with skull caps brandishing sticks and iron rods. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) labelled the assault as pre-planned, asserting that the marauding mob deliberately desecrated numerous Murtis (idols) of Hindu deities within the temple premises.
The temple itself has been embroiled in controversy for years, with conflicting claims regarding its status. While the Muslim faction claims it as a shrine, the Hindu faction maintains its classification as a temple.
Tensions escalated when rumours circulated regarding the purported removal of graves from the site.
#Gujarat | Miscreants attack a temple in Ahmedabad and destroy murtis of Hindu gods and goddesses pic.twitter.com/VTde4mKEXX
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) May 8, 2024
Consequently, a large gathering of local Muslims converged on the location, fueled by the rumour. Amidst the chaos, an Islamist faction forcefully breached the temple’s defences, reportedly damaging its walls in the process. Armed with wooden sticks and iron batons, the assailants launched a relentless assault, causing extensive damage to the sacred site.
The VHP posted a video of the attack on its official Instagram account, asserting the premeditated nature of the assault and highlighting the destruction of numerous Hindu idols. The Gujarat unit of the Bajrang Dal also shared footage of the mob attack, condemning the intrusion into the temple premises and the ensuing chaos.
In response to the incident, law enforcement swiftly intervened, with the Ahmedabad rural district police station and a convoy including the Special Operations Group (SOG) and Local Crime Branch (LCB) promptly arriving at the scene to restore order. An ongoing investigation seeks to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack.
This report will be updated as further developments emerge.
