A commotion erupted at a Shiva temple located in Dadri village, Daurala police station area of Meerut district, Uttar Pradesh, when it was discovered that the priest residing there as 'Krishna Baba' was actually a Muslim youth. The youth was identified as Qasim, son of Altaf, a resident of Sitamarhi, Bihar, who had been living in the temple as a priest for the past year.
The matter came to light when Qasim returned to the temple after the Shivratri Kanwar Yatra, and villagers became suspicious due to the low amount of money found in the donation box. When he was asked for identification documents, his true identity was revealed through his Aadhaar card. Following this, the villagers handed him over to the police. The police have arrested Qasim and sent him to jail, and his past records and the motives behind his stay at the temple are now being investigated.
Hindu Organizations Express Outrage
Angered by this incident, activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Suraksha Sangathan (All India Hindu Security Organization) reached the temple on Friday and performed purification rituals with Gangajal (Ganges water) and recited the Hanuman Chalisa. Sachin Sirohi, the president of the organization, described the incident as a planned conspiracy and claimed in a media interaction that Qasim was trying to establish contact with Hindu girls under the guise of worship.
He linked this case to 'Love Jihad' and stated that the possibility of a larger conspiracy cannot be ruled out. He also demanded that Qasim's possible connections with terrorist organizations be investigated. The organization stated that this is not merely a case of concealing identity, but a direct attack on the dignity of religious places and social harmony.
Government Should Verify Priests in All Temples
Following the incident, Hindu organizations have demanded that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath verify the priests stationed in all the temples of the state. They say that this may not be an isolated incident, and there may be several such cases in which people are living in religious places by concealing their identities.
The organization also said that this matter should be investigated by the ATS (Anti-Terrorism Squad) so that if a large network is operating, the complete truth can be revealed. They urged the administration not to consider this a simple crime, but to take action considering it a challenge related to security and communal harmony.
Currently, the police are engaged in a detailed investigation of the entire matter. How Qasim established himself as a priest in the temple for a year and under whose patronage he was able to do so is now a matter of investigation. Local villagers and organizations believe that this case should be made an example and strict action should be taken so that no one dares to do such an act in the future.
