Ahmedabad, Sep 3 A man has been arrested in Gujarat's Botad district for allegedly defacing the murals of a Hanuman temple, the police said on Saturday.
The incident happened at Shalangpur. The arrested individual has been identified as Jitubhai Gadhvi.
An official said Gadhvi managed to breach the barricades around the bronze statues and the policemen who were deployed.
He was swiftly apprehended by the police personnel present at the temple premises, and an investigation has been initiated into the matter.
In viral videos circulating on social media, he is seen wielding an axe and ink, blackening the murals while vociferously proclaiming, "hail to the Sanatan dharma. None of you dare come near me or I shall kill you".
Subsequently, Gadhvi wielded the axe to strike a mural multiple times, albeit the axe broke during the attempt.
He resorted to using the axe handle to damage two more murals before being detained by three policemen.
He proceeded to damage the murals before being detained by the police.
Gadhvi, hailing from Charanki village near Ranpur town in Botad district and currently residing in Dhasa village of Gadhada taluka, has been taken into custody.
The incident unfolded amid calls by certain Hindu religious figures in Gujarat, including Morari Babu, advocating for the removal of the murals.
These leaders have expressed objection to the portrayal of Lord Hanuman alongside Lord Swaminarayan.
As of now, the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan (BAPS) has not issued any response to these calls.
The Hanuman temple is affiliated with the BAPS sub-sect of the Swaminarayan sect.
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