Temple in UP 'purified' with 'Gangajal' after Muslim MLA's visit

Doomariyaganj MLA Sayeda Khatoon had on Sunday visited the Samay Mata temple at the invitation of the local people to participate in a 'Shatchandi Mahayagya.' After she left, some people not in favour of her visit purified it with 'gangajal' amid chanting of mantras.

Lucknow: Saffron outfits on Tuesday 'purified' a temple in Uttar Pradesh's Siddharth Nagar district with 'Gangajal (sacred waters of Ganga) after a Muslim MLA from Samajwadi Party (SP) visited it to take part in a religious event.

According to the reports, the 'purification' of the temple followed a strong protest from the leaders of the saffron outfits, who said that the temple had become 'impure' after the visit of the Muslim legislator and needed to be purified.

Reports said that SP MLA from Dumariyaganj assembly constituency Sayyada Khatoon was invited to attend a 'yajna' (a ritual by fire) and 'Ram Katha' event at the Samay Mata Mandir.

Several leaders of the local saffron outfits gathered at the venue after Khatoon's departure from there and raised slogans against her and demanded that the place be purified with Ganga waters.

Reacting to the incident, Khatoon said that she had visited the venue after getting an invitation in her capacity as the public representative. ''I respect all religions...I represent the people...the organising committee had also felicitated me,'' she said.

The MLA said that some people with ''communal mentality'' were against her visit.

Police said that they had not yet received any complaint in this regard. ''We will act in accordance with the law once we get a complaint...so far no one has filed any complaint,'' said a senior police official in the district.