On Saturday afternoon, a group of Congress leaders and workers faced police action in Varanasi. They were attempting to reach the Gurudham temple to inspect idols, including one of Indore's queen Ahilyabai Holker. The police stopped them from proceeding further.
Congress Plans Temple Visit to Verify Claims
Raghavendra Chaubey, the Congress city president, explained the reason behind the visit. He stated that the district administration had claimed the idols and remains from Manikarnika Ghat were safely stored in Gurudham temple after a recent demolition. The Congress planned a peaceful visit to verify this claim firsthand.
Police Intervention and Detention
When office-bearers from the district and city Congress committees approached the temple peacefully, police personnel intervened. They halted the group's progress. Several prominent party leaders were involved in this incident.
The detained individuals included Raghavendra Chaubey, state spokesperson Sanjeev Singh, and Satnam Singh. Others taken into custody were City President of Youth Congress Chanchal Sharma, Pramod Verma, Dheeraj Sonkar, Santosh Chaurasiya, Afsar Khan, Narsingh Verma, Khalid Siddiqui, and Imam Raja.
Police transported these leaders to the Bhelupur police station. After some time, authorities released all of them. The Congress members expressed frustration over being prevented from checking the idols' condition.
This incident highlights ongoing tensions in Varanasi regarding temple management and political oversight. The Congress party insists on transparency in handling religious artifacts after demolition activities.
