On 30 September 2017, the day of Dussehra, Bajrang Dal organised a ‘show of strength’ in Dasna Devi Temple in Ghaziabad, where a dozen people were seen firing guns in the air. The video went viral and police registered a case in the issue for breaching the conditions of arms license.
The caretaker of Dasna Devi Temple, is Mahant Narsimhanand Saraswati. The Quint interviewed him in 2015 as a part of a documentary, The Wild West of Uttar Pradesh: Rise of the Hindu Fringe. In this interview, Narsimhanad had shared his Islamophobic believes with us.
Islam means ignorance and darkness. I want that all those people from this land, who converted to Islam, must return to their religion in some way. They should stop killing people in the name of Jihad. They should stop killing cows and return back to HinduismMahant Narsinhanad Saraswati, Caretacker, Dasni Devi Temple
Dasna Devi temple is situated in Mansuri area of Ghaziabad, which has a history of communal tension. In 2012, during a communal clash in the area, six people were killed and a police station was burnt.
Have the authorities and state government ignored the Mahant for too long?
Producer: Anubhav Mishra
Video editor: Mohd Ibrahim
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