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Soni Sinha in Jaipur
A Hindu shrine in Jahajpur sub-district in northern Rajasthan was reportedly damaged on Friday night even as the crisis over the demolition of a mosque at Asind, about 200 km from here, was yet to subside.
"The railing of the Bhooth Nath Baba, built by Hindus in the Bindiya Bhatta village, popularly known as the devil route, was broken and a date palm was axed down," Purshotam Sharma, a district official, said.
However, the incident passed off without much ado as local authorities reportedly rebuilt the railing quickly. No tension was reported in the area nor were any formal complaints lodged with the police, local officials said.
Both the incidents have occurred in Bhilwara district.
On July 27, some Hindu nomads allegedly razed a 16th century mosque built by Mughal emperor Akbar and surreptitiously installed an idol of Hanuman at the site.
But after discussion between leaders of the Hindu and Muslim communities, authorities managed to persuade the former to remove the idol.
The mosque has always existed within the premises of the Sawai Bhoj temple built by Akbar, known as the most secular and enlightened of Mughal rulers.
The Rajasthan government has said efforts were under way to rebuild the mosque at its original site in Asind by canvassing public support in favour of reconstruction.
State Home Minister Gulab Singh Shekhawat and Deputy Speaker of Rajasthan Assembly Devender Singh said they had briefed Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi about the demolition of the mosque in the Congress-ruled state.
Shekhawat, who returned from Delhi on Friday along with Singh, said they had also apprised Gandhi of the steps the state government had taken to restore normalcy in Asind. He said efforts would be made to settle the issue in a manner that was acceptable to both Hindus and Muslims.
But organisations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal, which had denied any hand in the demolition of the mosque, surprised the local people on Tuesday by issuing warnings against moves to rebuild it.
The local nomads, meanwhile, have invited the VHP president Vishnu Hari Dalmia to visit Asind. The temple trustees have reportedly given assurances to the nomads 'of all possible help'.
Local Muslims have also threatened to display their strength.
"If required, on the question of mosque and the Quran, our brethren from the world can descend," said a local leader of the Sheikh community.
Indo-Asian News Service
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