MP: Group of people force entry into temple, `beat up’ priest

Dewas: A group of people forcibly entered the famous Mata Tekri temple in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas city after it had closed for the night and allegedly roughed up its priest as he refused to let them in, police said on Saturday.

While the opposition Congress claimed that the son of a BJP MLA was part of the group, police did not confirm the allegation.

As per the complaint lodged by the priest at the Kotwali police station here, Jitu Raghuvanshi, who has a past criminal record, arrived at the temple late Friday night with others in a fleet of eight to 10 cars.

They allegedly asked the priest to open the gates, and when he refused, he was allegedly abused and beaten up, said City Superintendent of Police Dinesh Agrawal.

An FIR was registered against them and the footage of some 50 cameras was being examined, he said.

Asked if the son of a BJP leader led the group, Agrawal told reporters that the case was under investigation.

Some videos on social media showed a couple of cars with red beacons in the fleet that arrived at the foot of the hilltop temple.

Dewas city Congress president Manoj Rajani said a certain BJP MLA should keep an eye on his son “who did such an act despite being a Sanatani”.