On Monday, incidents of vandalism and violence marred the country during the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The scale of these incidents varied, encompassing allegations of sandals thrown inside a mosque and a shop being burnt in Telangana, a graveyard set ablaze in Bihar, and violent skirmishes in different parts of Maharashtra.
Gujarat witnessed an FIR following alleged stone-pelting on a Shobha Yatra celebrating the temple’s inauguration.
Hateful songs played in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, gained notoriety through viral videos. In Madhya Pradesh, a saffron flag featuring the Ram Temple’s image was planted atop a church a day before the ceremony.
The ‘pran pratishtha’ or consecration ceremony took place in Ayodhya on Monday afternoon, marked by the inaugural pooja performed by PM Narendra Modi in the presence of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and UP Governor Anandiben Patel.
In Telangana’s Narayanpet district, a procession celebrating the Ram Temple consecration reached Madina Masjid in Kosgi town, playing loud music.
Allegedly, the procession burnt crackers in front of the mosque, and some individuals threw sandals into the mosque, causing papers to blow inside. A FIR has been filed, naming seven individuals, but no arrests have been made.
Meanwhile, in Khirma village, Bihar, a procession celebrating the ceremony reportedly threw a firecracker into a Muslim graveyard.
The ensuing fire quickly spread, leading to the containment of the flames. An FIR has been registered, naming 12 individuals and 50-100 unknown persons, with no arrests made thus far.
These incidents highlight the complex challenges surrounding communal tensions during significant events.