Namaaz at Mathura Temple: Sant Samaj seeks strict action against culprits, FIR lodged

The incident of offering Namaaz at the Nand Baba temple in Mathura has not gone down well with the Sant Samaj of Ayodhya. Mahant Gauri Shankar Das, national general secretary of Ayodhya Hanumangarhi Nirvani Ani Akhara has expressed displeasure over the incident and demanded strict action against the people who offered Namaaz.

Mahant Gauri Shankar Das said that offering Namaaz in the temple is a part of a larger conspiracy and urged the state government to take concrete action against those involved in offering Namaaz at the temple.

Meanwhile, the Mathura police has filed an FIR against four people in the case.

According to reports, Faizal Khan and Chand Mohammed at around 12.30 pm on October 29 offered namaaz at the Nand Baba Mandir in Nandgaon
while two others -- Alok Ratan and Nilesh Gupta -- took their pictures and posted on social media platforms. All four are a member of the Delhi-based organisation 'Khudai Khidmatgar'.

After the incident, Mukesh Goswami, Shivhari Goswami, and Kanha filed an FIR on Sunday night. The accused have been booked under Sections 153-A, 295, and 505 of the Indian Penal Code.

The FIR states, "Their act has hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community. We have a concern that these photographs do not get misused or if there is any foreign funding behind this incident. This should also be probed if this act was intended to stir communal tensions."

Speaking to reporters, Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Shrikant Sharma on Monday said strict legal action will be taken against the culprits who are trying to create disharmony in the society.

Ram Janmabhoomi chief priest, Acharya Satyendra Das and Jagatguru Swami Ram Dineshacharya have also termed the incident as instigating and have demanded strict action against the culprits.