In a disturbing incident, unidentified miscreants allegedly vandalized five idols, including those of Radha Krishna and Gaur Nitai, at the Haribasar temple in Malda district, West Bengal.
The incident that reportedly unfolded on Wednesday night in Rangaipur village under the Harishchandrapur block has ignited widespread condemnation, with rising concerns over an alarming trend of targeting Hindu temples in the state.
The incident was brought to light by BJP Bengal unit-led Leader of Opposition (LOP) Suvendu Adhikari, who shared a video of the desecration on X.
Condemning the incident, Adhikari squarely blamed the West Bengal government, alleging that the Mamata Banerjee administration’s indifference to such incidents—and its repeated failure to identify and punish the culprits is steadily eroding the trust of the Hindu community.
https://x.com/SuvenduWB/status/2014214435725066418?s=20
In a post on X, he wrote, “Hindu temples and Hindu deities are being repeatedly attacked in West Bengal due to the misrule of the Mamata government. Last night, someone broke five idols, including a Radha Krishna idol and a Gaur Nitai idol, from the Haribasar temple in Rangaipur village of Harishchandrapur block of Malda district and threw them into a mango orchard about 200 meters away.”
“The matter came to everyone’s attention when the villagers came to worship in the morning. The indifference of Mamata Banerjee’s administration towards such incidents and the failure to find the culprits and give exemplary punishment to them is increasing day by day, which is hurting the trust of Hindus,” his post read.
Adhikari further asserted that the Hindu community will respond politically in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections.
“Hindus will give Mamata Banerjee an answer in the 2026 assembly elections, because Hindus know that if this government comes to power again, their situation will be like that of the Hindus of Bangladesh,” his post added.
This is not an isolated incident, earlier on January 7, around 70–80 idols of Goddess Saraswati and Maa Kali were found destroyed outside a sculptor’s workshop near Loknath Temple in Shantipur, Nadia district.
The idols were crafted for upcoming Saraswati and Kali pujas when the vandalism was discovered early in the morning. Police investigated and detained a youth in connection with the case.
Last year on October 22, a damaged Kali idol was found in a village temple under Suryanagar Gram Panchayat, leading to public outrage and protests. The incident sparked political controversy and clashes, with police eventually removing the idol to prevent further unrest
In another similar incident on March 9, 2025, the idol of Goddess Kali was reportedly vandalised at a temple in Shankchura Bazaar under Basirhat Police Station jurisdiction. Police later stated that the accused had been arrested and had mental health issues, denying a communal motive.
On March, 14 March 2025, in Kamalpur village, idols of Hindu deities were reported vandalised. This incident was shared by BJP leaders who also referenced other incidents, including an idol burning in nearby Baruipur on March 7, 2025.
Likewise on November 29, 2024, unidentified miscreants allegedly vandalized the idol of Lord Hanuman at a temple in Birbhum district.
