Hyderabad Police on Friday, 2 October arrested a man who allegedly entered the Santoshi Mata Temple in the Dilsukhnagar area and attempted to desecrate the idol in the presence of the priest and devotees. The suspect, identified as Mohammed Ansari, was handed over to police by bystanders who had apprehended him at the scene.

What Happened Inside the Temple

According to police, the incident unfolded while prayers were actively underway. A video that surfaced on social media showed a man entering the sanctum sanctorum and throwing tree branches in front of the idol before walking out of the temple. Bystanders caught hold of the man, assaulted him, and subsequently handed him over to law enforcement.

What Police Have Said

Hyderabad Police confirmed that Mohammed Ansari has been taken into custody. According to police, Ansari is currently undergoing treatment for mental health issues. Authorities have stated that further investigation is underway, and no additional details about the charges have been confirmed at this stage.

BJP Condemns the Incident, Targets State Government

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly condemned the incident, describing it as a 'barbaric attack by religious fanatics' on the deity within the sanctum sanctorum. The party alleged that the Chief Minister Revanth Reddy-led government was 'in a deep slumber' and driven by 'vote-bank politics.'

In a post on the Telangana BJP's X handle, the party wrote: 'How many more Hindu temples must fall victim to Congress's politics of appeasement? In a state where even the idol of Goddess Santoshi Mata lacks protection, what is the value of the self-respect of the majority community?'

BJP state president N. Ramchander Rao alleged that Ansari had raised religious slogans and thrown sticks at the deity. 'This falls squarely on CM Revanth Reddy and his appeasement politics. He has taken no action against extremists who have been attacking our temples in the past, and this inaction has only emboldened them further,' Rao said.

BJP floor leader in the Telangana Assembly, Alleti Maheshwar Reddy, also condemned the incident and claimed that 'since Revanth Reddy took office as Chief Minister, Telangana has witnessed more than 15 reported incidents of temple vandalism and desecration.' He called for strict legal action against those responsible and urged the government to ensure the safety of devotees and the sanctity of places of worship.

Political Context and What Comes Next

The incident has rapidly taken on political dimensions, with the BJP using it to attack the Congress-led Telangana government ahead of what observers note is a politically charged period for the state. Notably, the police's disclosure of Ansari's mental health background introduces a significant caveat to the BJP's characterisation of the episode as organised religious extremism. The Congress government in Telangana has not issued a formal public response as of the time of this report. All findings remain subject to the ongoing police investigation.