Devotees threaten 'movement' in UP after Sai Baba idol disappears



Tempers are running high at Uttar Pradesh's Deoria town after a Sai Baba idol was removed from the famous Deorahi temple.



Sai followers allege that the local administration removed the idol under the pressure from the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha.



The followers have now threatened to raise a "movement" to protest against the removal of the idol.



Removed: The Sai Baba idol that was placed at the Deorahi temple was allegedly removed from its rightful place on the orders of a local party recently

Caught in the middle is the administration as the Hindu Mahasabha members - who say they are unaware about who removed the idol - are allegedly on a dharna at the district collectorate against the administration trying to locate and reinstall the idol.



The problem started on July 7 when some Hindu Mahasabha members, led by Indresh Singh Amethiya, barged into the temple and tried to remove the idol, reportedly in support of the Shankaracharya of Dwarka Peeth, Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati's orders. However, they met resistance from Sai followers at the temple.



Sensing trouble, the police launched a lathi-charge on the Hindu Mahasabha activists and detained some of them from the spot.

The next day, Singh, along with over a half-dozen Hindu Mahasabha members, started the ongoing dharna at the collector's office to demand removal of the idol.



While the protest was on, the Sai idol went missing from the temple on June 11 evening.

"Senior priests Katru Tiwari and Reoti Rama Tiwari had brought the idol over a decade ago... Only they know what happened to the idol.



"They have left for Haridwar and cannot be contacted at the moment," another priest Paras Das claimed. The Hindu Mahasabha members, clearly, are unhappy.

"We don't know who removed the statue of Sai Baba. But we have come to know that the administration is conspiring to install it again. We will continue our dharna... We want the government to suspend the sub-divisional magistrate who ordered the lathi-charge on July 7," Amethiya said, adding that they will not remain silent if Sai followers ignore Shankaracharya's call to remove Sai idol from temples.



Allegation: Sai followers allege that the local administration removed the idol under the pressure from the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha

When contacted, Deoria SDM Girijesh Kumar Chaudhary said the administration is keeping a close watch on the development.

