Is it a crime to save Hindu temples in Maharashtra? asks Shiv Sena

Mumbai: Shiv Sena on Saturday defended its Aurangabad MP Chandrakant Khaire who allegedly roughed up and abused a civic official for demolishing a temple as per court orders.

Civic official Ramesh Mundlod, who based on High Court orders, led a demolition drive including that of illegal temples in a suburb of Aurangabad, was allegedly abused and roughed up by Khaire recently.

"When Khaire tried to question the official for demolishing the temple which was not causing any traffic hindrance, he was painted a culprit," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana said.

"Is it a crime to save Hindu temples in this state?," the Sena said.

"The court order to demolish certain temples was issued during Congress regime. It is misfortune of the Hindus that it is being implemented during the Devendra Fadnavis-led regime," the edit said.

Khaire had termed the official "Aurangzeb's progeny" and asked him why he was not demolishing "Muslim buildings" instead. While showering a litany of abuses, Khaire also allegedly pushed and abused the official.

In a bizarre justification after the incident, Khaire had said that if he had not hurled those abuses, the angry mob would have killed the official.

"The angry mob was about to kill the official who had holed up in his car after what he had done, I saved him. But so what if I abused him ? We won't stand back and watch while our temples get demolished. We are here to defend the Hindus," Khaire had said.

The MP said that it was a conspiracy against the Hindu temples in the state.

"The police commissioners and collectors are all together in this. It's a conspiracy against our temples. How can the police even have the guts to destroy our temples when we are still in power ? They just wanted to show that they can demolish temples in front of us," Khaire had said.