Unidentified offenders damaged the idol of Goddess Sita at a temple situated in the the Pandit Nehra Bus Station in Vijaywada in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday night (2 January), Times of India reports.

Hindu outfits along with political parties like the BJP and TDP protested at the site as destruction of temples continues across the southern state regularly. The temple priest brought the matter to the police’s attention as he noticed vandalised clay idol upon reaching the premises for the morning puja.

HYS President Chikkala Rajanikanth mentioned, “This temple has a history of 40 years. Devotees, who come to the bus stand, offer prayers at this temple. Many bus drivers offer prayers before starting their duty. Police should verify the CCTV footage and take stringent action.” He claimed that the attacks on temples are being consciously used to divert the concerns regarding the civic issues in Andhra Pradesh.

“Police failed to control attacks on temples. They are diverting the issue as if the idol fell down on its own under the impact of the wind. We will continue our protest till the police arrest the culprits,” Chikkala Rajanikanth added.

BJP’s Andhra Pradesh in-charge Sunil Deodhar and Somu Verraju, president of the state unit of the party, have asked for the resignation of the endowments minister for failing to protect temples in the state.

This vandalism comes at a time when similar desecrations of Hindu idols are being reported from the state.

It was reported that an idol of Lord Subrahmanyeswara was vandalised at the Ganesh Temple in the state's Rajamahendravaram city located in the East Godavari district on 1 January.

On 29 December, a 400-year-old idol of Lord Ram was beheaded by unidentified individuals at the Sita Lakshmana Kodandarama temple in Andhra Pradesh's Ramatheertham.