A temple in Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi was allegedly vandalised by a mob last night. According to reports being posted on social media by locals, the Durga Mata Mandir in Lal Kuan in Chandni Chowk area became the target of vandalism by a mob of 300-400 people on the night of June 30, 2019.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5uKTr8vQw0]
According to locals who posted videos of the temple on social media, at around 12 am, the Durga Mandir was attacked by 300-400 people belonging to the Muslim community. Along with the temple, the houses belonging to Hindus in the neighbourhood were also targeted by the mob, the locals alleged.
दिल्ली के हौजकाजी में कल रात एक मंदिर पर पत्थर बरसायें गए और तोड़ फोड़ की गई
पहले पूरे इलाके में अफवाह फैलाई गई कि एक मुस्लिम लड़के की मोब लिंचिंग हुई हैं, जबरदस्ती जय श्री राम बुलवाया हैं
उसके बाद मंदिर में, थाने में जो हुआ वो आपके सामने हैं pic.twitter.com/Tak2yeBeOi
— Kapil Mishra (@KapilMishra_IND) July 1, 2019
Yes as per locals. Muslims barged into house of a Hindu family and created huge ruckus and misbehaved with women of the family. https://t.co/QSIK8EsYdu
— अंकित जैन (@indiantweeter) July 1, 2019
A video shared by rival AAP MLA Kapil Mishra shows youths storming into the temple, and also surrounding the Hauz Qazi police station in the area. Mishra tweeted that before the incident, a rumour was spread that a Muslim boy was lynched by a mob, forcing him to say Jai Shree Ram.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm8pUTzWuBc]
According to police sources, this was triggered by a skirmish caused by an argument over parking. When the argument over parking in the area became intense, some people started pelting stones. Later in the night a mob entered the temple and vandalised it. The police have confirmed that Muslim youths in the area attacked the temple.
The photos and videos shared on social media show that the statues, fixtures, glass panes etc in the temple were smashed, curtains etc were burnt by the mob. According to locals, the population of Hindus in the area is just around 5%, and the rest 95% are Muslims, who mercilessly smashed the entire temple.
A team of Delhi police, comprising senior officials, arrived soon after they were informed about the incident, and they prevented further damage. The arrival of police also ensured that nobody was harmed in the incident. The police have so far been tight-lipped and we are awaiting a statement regarding the incident.
