Leaders condemn temple desecration in Pune; BJP targets Supriya Sule for ‘soft response’

Mumbai: Leaders across political parties have deplored the alleged desecration of an idol at a temple in Maharashtra’s Pune district and demanded stern action against those involved.

In a post on X on Sunday, NCP (SP) leader and Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule urged the government to act decisively.

“A young man has committed an inappropriate act at the Annapurna Devi temple in Paud village. This incident is extremely disgusting and infuriating. No sensitive person can possibly tolerate such behaviour,” she wrote in the post.

A 44-year-old man was arrested and his 16-year-old son detained after the latter allegedly desecrated the idol in Paud village, police had said earlier.

“I urge the government to take the strictest possible action against him immediately. We firmly believe that no one who disrupts social harmony should be spared or forgiven,” said Sule, who represents the Baramati Lok Sabha seat.

Shrirang Barne, Shiv Sena MP from Maval, also labelled the desecration a deliberate act aimed at hurting Hindu sentiments. “We will not tolerate the insult of our religion,” Barne said.

“This is not just the act of an unstable individual but a conscious attempt to provoke. A bandh has been called in Mulshi Taluka, and it has received support from the Hindu community. We firmly demand the harshest punishment for the guilty,” Barne said on Sunday.

However, the condemnation by political parties took a different turn on Monday when BJP MLC Chitra Wagh attacked Sule for not “naming” the accused. In a post on X, Wagh accused Sule of indulging in appeasement politics and not showing the same sensitivity she often does on international issues.

“What's the matter, elder sister of Baramati? You usually put on a show of being extremely sensitive, passionately expressing your views even on matters like the Russia-Ukraine war. But when a disgusting and outrageous incident occurred in your own constituency, all you did was post a four-line tweet and stay silent,” asked the BJP leader.

Wagh called the alleged desecration a message threatening Hindu women. She said the Hindu community “may never be able to forgive” Sule for her “silence”.