Video footage from the scene shows a crowd waving saffron flags and chanting the Hindutva slogan of ‘Jai Shree Ram’ outside the tomb of Nawab Abdus Samad
FATEHPUR — Communal tension gripped Fatehpur district in Uttar Pradesh on Monday (August 11) after a decades-old Muslim shrine was vandalised by members of Hindutva organisations alleging it was constructed on an ancient Hindu temple.
Residents and community leaders have described the move as a “deliberate act to provoke communal unrest.”
According to locals, a group of men forcibly entered the shrine located in Abu Nagar, Rediya locality of Sadar tehsil, damaging the shrine, breaking portions of its boundary wall, and smashing its iron railing. Eyewitnesses claimed the attackers raised provocative slogans before fleeing the scene.
The Hindutva men came prepared with hammers and rods,” said a caretaker of the shrine. “They desecrated the mazar and then left quickly before police could arrive.”
Video footage from the scene shows a crowd waving saffron flags and chanting the Hindutva slogan of “Jai Shree Ram” outside the tomb.
The tomb (mazar) of Nawab Abdus Samad is officially recorded under Khasra Number 753 as Maqbara Mangi, and is listed as national property, according to media reports. However, Hindu groups, including the Math Mandir Sanrakshan Sangharsh Samiti, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Bajrang Dal, claim it is a temple dedicated to Thakurji and Lord Shiva.
The protest was reportedly escalated after BJP’s Fatehpur district president Mukhlal Pal alleged that the tomb was originally a temple citing carvings of a lotus flower as proof of its Hindu origin.
Bajrang Dal’s Fatehpur district co-convenor Dharmendra Singh also vowed to perform prayers at the site, saying the administration would not be able to stop them.
Virendra Pandey, state vice president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), claimed the site is a temple and demanded the area be cleaned for Janmashtami celebrations on August 16, accusing officials of ignoring repeated requests.
The administration, however, maintains that the land is a registered tomb and has increased security around the site. Barricades have been erected, and police and PAC forces have been deployed to prevent clashes.
The Muslim community has condemned the desecration of the tomb and described the act as a targeted attack coinciding with the ongoing Muharram observances. “This was not random vandalism — they knew this was a religious place and chose this moment to attack,” said a local elder.
Soon after the incident, hundreds of residents gathered at the site, many expressing anger and demanding immediate police action. The district administration deployed additional police personnel to prevent escalation.
The vandalism has sparked political reactions, with opposition parties condemning the incident and accusing the ruling party of shielding the perpetrators.
The Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress have both issued statements condemning the vandalism and accusing the BJP of fostering an environment of intolerance.
The vandalised shrine is believed to be over 150 years old and is regarded as a local heritage site, visited by both Muslims and Hindus.
