Dozens of people stormed the Siddhi Vinayak temple wielding clubs, sticks and stones. The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission condemned the incident, urging the government to protect minorities in Punjab.
Multan (AsiaNews) – A group of Muslims stormed the Hindu temple of Siddhi Vinayak in Bong Sharif, Punjab.
Videos of the incident quickly went viral, showing dozens of people destroying the temple’s doors, windows and chandeliers with clubs, sticks and stones.
The Justice and Peace Commission (NCJP) of the Catholic Church has condemned the attack, which took place on Wednesday.
The event was caused ostensibly by a previous incident. A few days ago, an eight-year-old Hindu boy urinated inside the library of an Islamic school.
The authorities arrested and charged the boy under Pakistan’s blasphemy law, then released the child on bail because he was a minor.
Hindus, who are a minority in Pakistan, have been attacked at least eight times over the past year.
In a joint statement issued by the NCJP, Bishop Samson Shukardin of Hyderabad, Rev Emmanuel Yousaf, and NCJP Executive Director Naeem Yousaf Gill call on the government to immediately take the necessary measures to ensure the security of religious minorities under Article 36 of the Constitution of Pakistan.
Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, a member of parliament for the governing Tehreek-i-Insaf party, on Twitter asked the police to intervene to stop the vandalism against the temple.
Police reportedly tried to stop the violence, but left the site of the incident when the situation got out of control, returning only after the building was completely thrashed.
According to a police report, between 100 and 150 people took part in the destruction of the temple.
The attackers blocked an access road to the place of worship and shouted anti-Hindu slogans.
“These incidents expose the plight of religious minorities in Pakistan and the negligence of law enforcement agencies,” said Naeem Yousaf Gill. “The perpetrators of such offences are never punished.”
For Rev Yousaf, "such attacks on minorities are a threat to their survival in Pakistan. The government should draw up a national action plan to safeguard them.”