UP temple purified with 'Ganga jal' after Muslim MLA's visit

A temple in Uttar Pradesh's Siddharthnagar district was 'purified' with Ganga jal after a visit by a Muslim MLA of the Samajwadi Party.

Doomariyaganj MLA Sayeda Khatoon had on Sunday visited the Samay Mata temple at the invitation of the local people to participate in a Shatchandi Mahayagya.

After she left, some people not in favour of her visit purified it with Gangajal amid chanting of mantras.

Dharamraj Verma, chief of Badhani Chafa's Nagar Panchayat where the temple is located, led the purification. The lawmaker was invited by some "unrighteous" people, he said.

"Because Sayeda Khatoon is a Muslim and eats cow meat, her visit to this holy place had made it impure," he said, adding, "after this purification, this place has now become completely pure and suitable for worship. Such an act should never be tolerated."

Sayeda Khatoon told PTI from Lucknow that she being a people's representative would continue to visit places related to all religions and sects and would not be deterred by any such acts.

"Many Brahmins and seers of the area are associated with me and had invited me to the 'Samay Mata temple' about ten days ago. I honour all religions, I am a legislator for all the people in the area and will go wherever I am invited," Khatoon, who is known to have got several temples renovated in the area, said.

She said Verma, an elected member, is associated with Bharatiya Janata Party and Hindu Yuva Vahini, a right wing group started by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

The priest of the temple, Sri Krishna Dutt Shukla, said the MLA was invited for the mahayagya and she had come there in the evening.

According to Shukla, the MLA remained there for some time and talked about amity in society before leaving.

"The next morning Verma and his team came here and questioned me why she had been called and said the temple had become impure because of her presence. They then sprinkled 'gangajal' and carried out the cleaning exercise," Shukla said.

Samay Mata temple is a revered religious site for Hindus located in the Siddharth Nagar district on the banks of the Rapti River.

Devotees from the neighbouring country Nepal and nearby districts also visit the temple.