A man was arrested on Monday for entering and vandalizing the Narian Pora Hindu temple in Karachi.
The man entered the temple located in the Ranchore Line area of Karachi, during the evening and damaged the statue of Hindu deity Jog Maya using a hammer, according to reports.
Attack on Narian Pora Hindu Temple in Karachi. This is 9th attack on Hindu Temple in 22 months despite Supreme Court notices and government claims that they protect Temple — nothing has changed.
It happens when culprits are allowed to walk free. pic.twitter.com/RevrRED2mr— Veengas (@VeengasJ) December 20, 2021
The accused was later apprehended by the public and handed over to local police.
According to media reports, the accused has been booked under sections that deal with blasphemy.
India’s Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa condemned the incident, calling it a “state-backed terror against minorities.”
“Another Hindu temple desecrated in Ranchore line, Karachi Pakistan Attackers justified vandalism saying ‘Temple is unworthy of being a place of worship’. This is state backed terror against minorities of Pakistan,” Sirsa tweeted.
Earlier in October, unidentified thieves had desecrated Hanuman Devi Mata Mandir in Sindh province. They took away jewellery and cash worth thousands of rupees.
In recent years, there has been a surge in attacks on places of worship of religious minorities in Pakistan. The country has been repeatedly slammed by the international community for not safeguarding the interest of its minorities.