Mob Storms Madhya Pradesh Temple, Assaults Priest After Hours

A group of individuals forcibly entered the revered Mata Tekri temple in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, late Friday night after it had closed, allegedly assaulting the priest who denied them entry, according to police reports.

The opposition Congress party alleged that the son of a BJP MLA was among the group, though authorities have not confirmed this claim. The priest filed a complaint at Kotwali police station, stating that Jitu Raghuvanshi, who has a prior criminal record, arrived at the temple with others in a convoy of eight to ten vehicles. When the priest refused to open the gates, the group reportedly verbally abused and physically attacked him, City Superintendent of Police Dinesh Agrawal told reporters on Saturday.

Police have registered an FIR against the group and are reviewing footage from approximately 50 CCTV cameras as part of the investigation, Agrawal added. When questioned about the involvement of a BJP leader’s son, he stated that the matter is still under inquiry.

Social media footage showed several cars, some with red beacons, in the convoy that approached the hilltop temple. Dewas city Congress president Manoj Rajani criticized a BJP MLA, urging him to monitor his son, whom he accused of committing the act despite claiming to follow Sanatani traditions.