Protests over the burglary in the Simhavahini Sri Mahankali temple at Lal Darwaza in the old city continued for the second consecutive day on Thursday with a voluntary bandh being observed in the locality and a rally being taken out despite police dissuading them.
Mild tension prevailed for a few minutes in the morning when some women bolted the temple’s door from outside after the Commissioner of Police, Anurag Sharma, went inside the temple to examine the scene of offence. However, police pacified them assuring them of catching the offenders and opened the door.
The Commissioner later announced that surveillance cameras would be installed at the temple.
Slogans raised
Devotees from different parts of the old city converged at the temple after taking out processions disregarding the police advisories not to do so. They squatted on the road and raised anti-government slogans. “Five days prior to the burglary in this temple, another temple at Uppuguda was burgled. Is it not failure of police to step up security after the first offence,” they asked.
Tension continued as the agitators refused to disperse demanding that the Endowments Department provide gold jewellery and silver articles replacing the stolen ones.
Former Minister and Telugu Desam leader, T. Srinivas Yadav, and Secunderabad MP Anjan Kumar Yadav came there and interacted with the temple committee. The demonstration was called off after the Industries Minister, J. Geetha Reddy, visited the temple and assured the people that police would nab the offenders and recover the stolen articles.
G. Mahesh Kumar Goud of the temple’s advisory committee said ‘samprokshana’ would be performed at the temple with the help of the Endowments Department on Friday. The temple will be thrown open to the public later.
