A case has been filed against three persons for allegedly vandalising the shrine of 18th century philosopher and Sufi poet Baba Bulleh Shah in Uttarakhand’s Mussoorie, ANI reported on Sunday. The persons are allegedly linked to a Hindutva group.
The shrine, located within the premises of the Wynberg-Allen in the town, was vandalised on Saturday, the news agency reported. The vandals used hammers and iron rods.
Religious books kept inside the structure were also damaged, ANI quoted the first information report as having alleged.
The three persons accused in the matter have been identified as Hariom, Shivayun and Shraddha, ANI reported. Twenty-five to thirty unidentified persons have also been accused in the matter.
They have been booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita pertaining to acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between groups, disturbing public tranquillity, and injuring or defiling places of worship with intent to insult the religion.
No person has been arrested so far and the matter is being investigated.
Sharing a video of the shrine being vandalised, Pinky Chaudhary, the chief of the Hindu Raksha Dal, said on social media on Saturday that he “salutes” the Hindutva group’s Uttarakhand unit.
“My Hindu Raksha Dal team today sent Bulleh Shah, who was in Devbhoomi for 70 years, back to Pakistan,” he said.
Devbhoomi was a reference to Uttarakhand.
Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Singh told the news agency that the case was filed based on a complaint filed by members of the Muslim community.
Rajat Agarwal, the president of the Baba Bulleh Shah Committee, alleged that the incident was “not merely damage to a religious site, but a conspiracy to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere of Mussoorie”, ETV Bharat reported on Sunday.
Hindutva organisations had objected to the expansion of the shrine, alleging that it was illegal and built on government land. The committee denied the allegation that the structure had been built on government land, ETV Bharat reported.
The structure is located on the land of a private school, which had allowed the shrine to be set up “years ago”, Agarwal was quoted as saying, adding that administrative inquiries had found no encroachment.
Shah died in 1757. His grave is located in Kasur, Pakistan.
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