Sri Satyanarayana, a Hindu pujari of the Sai Baba temple, who was attacked by the Imam of a Mosque in Warangal, died in Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital, Hyderabad today.
The attack happened on Oct 26, 2018, early in the morning when the priest was playing devotional songs through temple mike system when he was approached by one Sayeed Sadhiq Hussain, demanding that the music be switched off. When the priest refused to do so, Hussain, who is the Imam of a mosque at LB Nagar,assaulted the elderly priest suddenly and caused severe injuries to his ribs and severe bleeding from his liver.
As the priest has no means to get proper treatment, Hindu organizations and NGOs and members of Warangal Bar Association intervened and gave several representations to the Telangana Government requesting that the priest’s treatment costs be borne by the Government. However, the requests have been ignored.
Last evening, as the priest’s condition turned critical, he was rushed to the NIMS Hospital in Hyderabad where he succumbed to his grievous injuries this morning.
Angered by the merciless attack by the Imam and silence from the Government in bringing justice to the hapless priest, Vishwa Hindu Parishad demanded death sentence to Sayeed Sadhiq Hussain and immediate arrest of others who played a role in the attack.
In a press statement, Kesireddy Jaipal Reddy, president of VHP Warangal urban division, N. Bhaskar Rao, VHP Telangana vice president and K. Ramesh, VHP District co-ordinator of Warangal demanded the Telangana state government to bear the expense of the last rites of the priest and to provide security to Shiva Sai temple in Pochamma Maidan.
Condemning the way a Hindu priest who was merely discharging duties was killed in a barbaric way, the VHP asked government to give up its minority appeasement policies and to respect the rights and sentiments of Hindus.
