The idol of Radha-Govinda in the Ras temple in Paikgachha has been vandalized

The idol has been vandalized in the Ras temple in Paikgachha, Khulna. Locals said that the incident occurred sometime between Sunday evening and Monday evening. The temple committee members said that the matter came to their attention when the worshippers went to light the evening lamp.

Temple president Santosh Kumar Sardar said, every year after the Ras festival, we keep the idol in the temple. The evening lamp is lit on the idol every evening. On Monday evening, while lighting the evening lamp, a local woman first noticed it while lighting the evening lamp. She saw that the idol had been damaged in various ways. Although there was an iron grill at the gate of the temple, two windows were empty and the temple has been under construction since 2022. Another temple can be seen next to it in 1996. The idol has been like this since its installation, but such an incident has never happened. Santosh Sardar believes that the incident took place between Sunday evening and Monday evening. As soon as we came to know about the matter, we informed the police administration.

Santosh Kumar Sardar further said, "The police administration and the upazila administration have visited the scene. Two idols of Radha Govinda have been vandalized in the temple. A meeting of six more temple committees of the municipality was held on Tuesday morning. They strongly condemned the incident. They have decided that since the idols have been vandalized, they will immerse the idols next Wednesday."

In this regard, Paikgachha Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Golam Kibria said, "We have visited the scene. Police have been deployed at the temple. We are investigating. Those involved in this will be identified and brought to justice." On the other hand, Khulna District Puja Udjavan Parishad has strongly condemned the incident and demanded that the miscreants be brought to justice within the next 24 hours.

Khulna District Puja Udjavan Parishad General Secretary Biman Saha said that these miscreants should be identified immediately and brought under the law. When this representative went to the spot, a housewife named Chandana, who lives nearby the temple, said that every afternoon, young boys hold a gathering of gajas in the temple premises. They could have caused this incident. Aware circles believe that some miscreants could have caused this incident to disrupt law and order locally or create political issues in the current political context of the country.