Video: Man throws sticks at Santoshi Mata idol in Hyderabad temple, arrested
A 40-year-old man was taken into custody after he allegedly threw sticks at an idol of Goddess Santoshi Mata at a temple in Hyderabad on Friday, an incident that drew condemnation from Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar.
A video purportedly showing the man entering the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and throwing sticks at the idol was circulated on social media. Police said a case was registered, and further investigation was underway to ascertain the motive behind the alleged act.
The incident took place while the priest and some devotees were offering prayers at the Santoshi Mata temple. After the alleged desecration, devotees at the temple caught hold of the man, tied him with a rope and handed him over to the police. They also raised slogans condemning the alleged act.Attacks on temples, assaults on Hindu sentiments, and appeasement politics have become commonplace in Telangana under the Congress rule.The attack on Santoshi Mata Temple in Dilsukhnagar is deeply condemnable. What is even more disturbing is the growing sense that the Congress pic.twitter.com/a45C5yswzL— G Kishan Reddy (@kishanreddybjp) October 2, 2026
The temple committee chairman later lodged a complaint with the police. Based on the complaint, a case was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Chaitanyapuri police station, a senior police official said. The man was subsequently taken into custody.
Expressing outrage over the incident, Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar said he had spoken to the Commissioner of Police and demanded an immediate investigation and firm action against those responsible. In a post on X, he said the Congress government must ensure the security of temples and devotees. "Incidents of this nature cannot be brushed aside every time," he said.
Kishan Reddy also condemned the alleged "attack" on the temple. He alleged that attacks on temples, assaults on Hindu sentiments and "appeasement politics" had become commonplace in Telangana under the Congress government.
The Union Minister for Coal and Mines said the state government must stop its alleged appeasement politics, take responsibility for what he described as a deteriorating law-and-order situation, offer an unconditional apology to Hindus for its alleged failure to protect places of worship and sentiments, and initiate strict action against those responsible.
"What is even more disturbing is the growing sense that the Congress Government has failed to take the protection of Hindu places of worship and the law and order situation seriously, with no action till date on a series of attacks on temples," he said in a social media post.
Referring to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy's reported remarks in the past that "Congress means Muslims, Muslims mean Congress", Kishan Reddy said such rhetoric raised serious concerns. The police investigation into the temple incident is continuing, while the episode has led to strong political reactions.- Ends
