Watch video: Sacrilege attempt at Patiala's Kali Mata temple; man detained

Patiala, January 24: The police on Monday detained a man for a sacrilege attempt at Kali Mata temple in Punjab's Patiala on Monday. The incident took place on Monday evening during evening prayers. A priest at Kali Mata temple in Patiala overpowered him and handed him over to the police. Further details are awaited.  Meanwhile, Hindu organisations have called for a bandh in Patiala on Tuesday in protest against the incident. Also read | Punjab elections: Amritsar ropes in conjoined twins Sohna, Mohna to sensitise voters The CCTV footage of the entire incident has already gone viral on social media. In the video, a masked man, scaled the enclosure — where the idol of Kali Mata was kept — and allegedly attempted to deface the idol. The man was immediately pushed away from the idol by the priest. The accused has been identified as Rajdeep Singh. Meanwhile, SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal also strongly condemned the "sacrilege" at Kali Mata mandir, Patiala. "We feared & warned against conspiracy by forces from outside Punjab to spread communal hatred among Hindus and Sikhs shrines. Worst fears coming true. Let's all stay united against them to preserve peace & communal harmony," he tweeted.

Strongly condemn sacrilege at Kali Mata mandir, Patiala. We feared & warned against conspiracy by forces from outside Punjab to spread communal hatred among Hindus and Sikhs shrines. Worst fears coming true. Let's all stay united against them to preserve peace & communal harmony. pic.twitter.com/MgONVQ37jm — Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) January 24, 2022

Earlier, on Saturday evening, a 30-year-old man was allegedly thrashed over the suspicion of sacrilege attempt at a gurdwara at Bhindi Aulakh village of Ajnala subdivision in Amritsar district. The suspect, Gursahib Singh, was handed over to the police. A video of the man being questioned by local residents is also doing rounds on social media. In the video clip, the accused is heard saying "One Ganna told him that he would get money for tearing Guru Granth Sahib pages, but he rejected the offer." A case was registered at the Bhindi Saidan police station against unidentified persons on the complaint of the gurdwara's granthi. Earlier, a man was hacked to death at a gurdwara in Kapurthala over alleged disrespect of Nishan Sahib. Prior to this, a mob thrashed a youth to death after he jumped the grills inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. During the farmers' protest at the Singhu border, a man was thrashed to death for alleged sacrilege attempt. Also read | SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia's anticipatory bail plea dismissed -PTC News with inputs from Gagandeep Ahuja