UP Police books four for offering namaz at Mathura's Nand Baba temple

Mathura: Police have booked four people after a video clip showing members of their group offering namaz on the premises of a temple in Mathura surfaced on social media, official said. According to the FIR, the accused reportedly belong to a Delhi-based organisation, Khudai Khidmatgar, and came to Mathura’s Nand Baba temple on Thursday, where they first offered prayers. They have been identified as Faizal Khan, Chand Mohammad, Alok Ratan and Neelesh Gupta. Kanha Goswami, a temple priest, said he was impressed as Faizal Khan chanted a few lines of the Ramcharitmanas and showed him their photographs with noted seers. The priest said the group told him that they are on a parikarma (circumambulation) of the Brij Chaurasi kos on bicycles. Later, Faizal and Chand Mohammad held a namaz at a secluded place on the temple premises without permission, he said, adding that he had no objection to their entry to the temple but they attempted to erode the sanctity of the shrine. It is also suspected in the FIR that the accused might have made the video of the incident, which has gone viral on social media. An apprehension about funding by a foreign organisation has also been expressed in the FIR, registered under Sections 153-A, 295 and 505 of the IPC on Sunday.

Reacting to the incident, another priest said they have decided to purify the temple as per the Hindu tradition. “The sanctity of the temple will be revived by cleaning it with the water from the holy Ganga and Yamuna,” temple priest Sushil Goshwami said. It will be followed by a “yajna” amidst chanting of Vedic hymns, he said. Meanwhile, an organisation representing priests sought stern action against the accused for attempting to jeopardise communal harmony in Mathura. Mahesh Pathak, national president of the Akhil Bhartiya Tirath Purohit Mahasabha, said their conduct is unpardonable as they tried to spoil the atmosphere of Mathura where people from both communities live like brothers. He said they appeared to belong to a paid outfit, sent to destroy the communal harmony between both communities. Stressing that Mathura had always propagated the message of love and peace in the world, Pathak requested police to take stern action against them. He also urged people stay vigilant as such incidents may hit the tourism sector and result in economic losses.