Key Takeaways
- The Hanuman Mandir in Hyderabad’s Kala Pathar area was desecrated by dumping garbage and waste materials.
- An FIR was filed against the journalist for revealing the matter of Hanuman Mandir desecration.
- The journalist, Siddhu, has been raising his voice on concerning issues through his social media handles and has been involved in reporting on Hindu-Muslim clashes in the past.
In an area known as ‘Kala Pathar’ in the old city area of Hyderabad, Telangana, there is situated a Hanuman Mandir, and it is important to note that all the Hindu population of this area has left the place, and a large Muslim population surrounds the Mandir. This Hanuman Mandir is at least 70 years old, with Shankha and Chakra.
But not everything is hunky dory with this place of worship for the Hindus. Due to no Hindus living in the area, puja in the Mandir does not take place, and it has been found that the Hanuman murti has completely been covered in trash, because the Muslims living around it throw waste materials and domestic trash in the Mandir, covering the murti with the same.
After this was known to a journalist from Hyderabad, Mr. Sridharan Siddhu, a few of his mates went to the Mandir and cleaned up the place of religious importance for the Hindus, and removed all the garbage covering the Hanuman murti.
Siddhu is a Telugu journalist, popular on social media, raising his voice on concerning issues through his social media handles, with the username ‘Journalist Siddhu’.
Journalist Siddhu
Speaking with Sonakshi Datta of GoaChronicle regarding the matter of the desecration of the Hanuman Mandir in Kala Pathar, Hyderabad, Siddhu said, ‘As no Hindus live in the area, the Muslims living near the Hanuman mandir throw domestic waste and beer bottles in the Mandir, on Hanuman Ji, and even urinate in the mandir.’
There are numerous mosques surrounding the Hanuman Mandir. Shri Ram Navami on April 17, 2024 revealed that the issue of Muslims disrespecting the mandir persisted despite previous cleaning efforts.
Hanuman Ji after the cleaning of the Mandir
After it was realized that nothing improved, a concerned individual called Ramesh, went to the area in order to simply speak with the people living around the mandir, but shockingly, he was beaten and sent back. Hence, on Shri Ram Navami, Siddhu and his co-anchor, along with their cameraman, went to the Kala Pathar area and reported the matter from ground zero.
During the reporting, Siddhu spoke with the Muslims living in the area, and while the latter told him that they had no problem with the Hindu Mandir being maintained in a proper manner, but after the video went viral; on the very next day, on April 18, 2024, a Suo-motu FIR was filed against Siddhu, and since then, he is being called to the police station. Shockingly, the FIR on Siddhu has been filed against IPC section 295. A case has also been registered against Ramesh, who had earlier gone to simply have a word with the Muslims in the area.
The irony of the matter is such that while a Hanuman Mandir, a place of immense reverence for Hindus, is being desecrated constantly for years by the Muslims living near it, FIRs have been filed against innocent Hindus only, simply asking for a solution, and the Muslims who have been busy urinating in the mandir and covering the Hanuman murti with heaps of trash, move scot-free.
Speaking further, Siddhu told us, ‘Now, I will have to go to the police station on Monday, and I will be assisted by Advocate Karuna Sagar’s team.’
He added, ‘While I have received assurance of support from BJP MLA T Raja Singh and MP contestant, Madhavi Latha; taking to Facebook, I have appealed to the leaders of BJP that I do not need their support, because the last time, when I received their “support”, 1 FIR filed against me had turned into 3! Nobody did nothing then.’
It is noteworthy that these FIRs filed earlier on Siddhu pertain to the Bhainsa riots, which had taken place back in the years 2020-21, when he had done a stellar job of covering the clashes between Hindus and Muslims in the town of Bhainsa in Telangana, wherein Muslims used to harass Hindus by obstructing their religious festivals, pelting stones, harassing Hindu women, and had even gone as far as murdering a Hindu man, dragging him inside a mosque, and throwing his dead body outside, later.
Since 2020, Siddhu continues to grapple with the FIRs he was slapped with, when he raised his voice for the Hindus in Bhainsa.
GoaChronicle had investigated the Bhainsa riots in great detail and had told you about all that had transpired, in its reports.
