ACTING TOUGH: Mob being dispersed at Tappachabutra in Hyderabad on Saturday. - Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

Hyderabad : Tension gripped the sensitive Tappachabutra area on Saturday following alleged desecration of the Darbar Maisamma temple. Noses of the two lion statues in front of the temple were found broken, leading to anguish and distress among the locals.

As word spread people in large numbers kept coming triggering rumours of communal flare-up. The police had to resort to mild lathicharge twice to disperse the crowd in the afternoon. There were reports of the retreating mob throwing stones at some houses in Tallagadda locality.

Action demanded

The statues were stated to have been damaged in the wee hours of Saturday with a stone lying nearby. It was noticed when the temple was opened at 5.30 a.m. Temple chairman Amar Singh alerted the police.

As the day progressed angry devotees gathered at the temple and raised slogans against the MIM. They demanded action against the guilty. BJP leader Baddam Balreddy and Telugu Desam MLA G. Sayanna rushed to the temple at 1 p.m. and tried to pacify the agitated devotees. "We don't know who have damaged the statues. But certainly it is the act of those who have no religion," Mr. Amar Singh said and demanded immediate arrest of the guilty.

As the crowd kept swelling, additional police forces were summoned. The Rapid Action Force took up position and the water canon was kept ready. The police deployed 30 pickets in Tappachabutra and Kulsumpura police station limits. "It is a mischief of some vagabond or drunkard," said Tappachabutra Inspector M.S. Venguopal Rao.

Karwan MLA Afsar Khan later visited the temple and enquired about the incident. The MLA said that he would do his best to see that the guilty were brought to book.

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