A video showing a small temple uprooted from its foundation and tilting toward the side in Andhra Pradesh is going viral with false and communal claims that a Hanuman temple was attacked by Muslims.
BOOM spoke to Annamayya district superintendent of police (SP) V Vidya Sagar Naidu, who refuted the communal claims, stating that a Hindu priest damaged the Anjaneya Swamy temple over a financial dispute.
The viral 40-second video shows a temple in a remote area, visibly tilted to one side, with its walls and main door damaged.
Several verified right-wing accounts on X shared the video with the caption, "Another day, another Hindu temple vandalised. Heartbreaking. This time in Andhra Pradesh. Pawan Kalyan Garu, Need immediate action. Some miscreants vandalised Hanuman Temple in Molakalacheruvu, Chittoor DT, Andhra Pradesh. Izlamist jihadis in Telangana Conversion Mafia in AP are rampant and destroying peace." (sic)
Click here to view the post and here for an archive.
Fact Check
BOOM ran a related keyword search and found a news bulletin from India Today dated October 16, 2024, featuring the same visuals. The bulletin reported that the Anjaneya Swamy temple in Malkara, Chevarur, Chittoor district, had been vandalised by unidentified miscreants, leading to widespread outrage and condemnation from local leaders and residents.
The video's description also mentioned that the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N Chandrababu Naidu had instructed authorities to apprehend the culprits and ensure they receive severe punishment.
We then did a related keyword search in Telugu and came across a follow-up report published by Telangana Today on October 18 about the incident.
The report quoted police stating that Harinath Yadav, a priest from another temple in the same district, along with five others, vandalised the Abhaya Anjaneya Swamy temple. It further explained that Harinath Yadav, the priest of Kanugunda Swamy temple, wanted to take control of the Abhaya Anjaneya Swamy temple to claim its income, but its priest, Vidyasagar, refused.
According to the Telangana Today article, "Angry over this, Harinath planned to blow up the temple thinking that this would force the priest to run away from the place. As per his plan, the accused spread a rumour that there is a treasure trove under Abhaya Anjaneya Swamy temple. A week ago he procured some explosives from two persons in Sri Sathya Sai district but failed in the attempt to blow up the temple. Accused Harinath later took the help of five others to damage the temple structure with shovels, hammers, chisels and other objects."
For further verification, we reached out to Annamayya district SP V Vidya Sagar Naidu to clarify the communal claims. The SP refuted the claims, stating that the incident happened because of an internal conflict, with the perpetrator being a Hindu priest.
Naidu told BOOM, "There was no attack on the temple, and there is absolutely no communal angle to the incident. The perpetrator is a Hindu priest from another temple. He destroyed the temple to receive the Rs 10,000 grant from the state government for himself, take control of the temple, and rebuild it."
We also came across a Facebook post by Annamayya District Police regarding the incident, identifying the six accused as priest Harinath, Molaka Maheshwar Reddy, Tirumani Lakshmi Narayana, Buchipalli Raghavendrachari, Chakivelu Madhu, and Sheikh Ilahi.
When questioned about Sheikh Ilahi, a Muslim individual named as one of the accused, the SP told BOOM, "Sheikh Ilahi was just a labourer who was hired by the priest to do the job. The main accused is the priest."
