Mob attacks temple in Pakistan after 8-year-old boy allegedly urinates in madrasa

New Delhi: A Muslim mob vandalised a Hindu temple in Pakistan’s Punjab province, desecrated the idols and burned down parts of it.

As per the cops, the mob attacked the Siddhivinayak temple on Wednesday at Bhong city of Rahim Yar Khan District, some 590 km from Lahore, in reaction to the alleged desecration of a Muslim seminary.

The violence started on Wednesday after a social media post inciting the people of Bhong to take revenge for desecration went viral. Later, the mob armed with iron rods, sticks, stones and bricks started gathering outside the temple and attacked it.

Pakistan Rangers were deployed

To control the situation and protect the 100 Hindu families living in the area, Pakistan Rangers were called.

Ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf parliamentarian Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani posted videos of the temple attack on his Twitter wall, requesting law enforcement agencies to rush to the spot to stop its “burning and vandalising”.

The video went viral on social media.

In a series of tweets, he said, “Attack on Hindu temple at Bhong City District Rahimyar Khan Punjab. The situation was tense since yesterday. Negligence by local police is very shameful. Chief Justice is requested to take action.”

He further said that strict action must be taken against culprits who attacked the Hindu temple.

‘Religious minorities in Pakistan are treated as non-citizens’

Meanwhile, no arrest has been made so far and the temple has been damaged badly.

Religious minorities in Pakistan are treated as non-citizens.

According to a report released by the Centre for Democracy, Pluralism and Human Rights (CDPHR) this April, Pakistan’s Constitution provides equal rights to all citizens, but these are only on paper.

“They are people without a voice; people without any constitutionally or legally protected rights,” the report had said.

Speaking on Pakistan’s Blasphemy law, the report called it a “tool” that works like a big instrument of exploitation and subjugation of people of other faiths.

“Fake rumours of desecrating the Quran or defaming Islam and the Prophet are spread. Minorities and their families are terrorised, subjugated and converted through this draconian law,” the report observed.

The European Parliament has also condemned Pakistan’s Blasphemy laws. On April 28, 2021, it adopted a joint motion calling for more comprehensive approaches to address the abuses of blasphemy laws.