A set of a few images showing a temple and its vandalized premises is doing rounds on social media, claiming that it is Arulmigu Avinashi Lingeshwarar Temple located in Avinasi, a panchayat town in Tiruppur district of Tamil Nadu. The users alleged that some anti-Hindus demolished 63 idols from this place of worship.
A Twitter user shared the images with a caption, “Anti-Hindu elements vandalized & damaged 63 idols at the ancient Avinashi Lingeshwar temple in Tiruppur, TN last night. This was a well-planned conspiracy by Hindu haters who could not tolerate the unprecedented rush of devotees for the Rath Mahotsav in the last few days.”
Another user shared with a similar caption, “Hate for our temples increasing day by day ! Anti-Hindu elements vandalized & damaged 63 idols at the ancient Avinashi Lingeshwar temple in Tiruppur, TN last night. Tamilnadu is in Danger Something needs to be done immediately.”
The post is viral on both Twitter and Facebook with the same narration.
Claim:
Some anti-Hindus demolished 63 idols from Arulmigu Avinashi Lingeshwarar Temple in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu.
Fact Check:
The Logical Indian fact-check team verified the claim and found it to be viral with a false communal spin, as the accused was Hindu, with a psychological issue that led to such an act. Further, the police clarified that he did not break any idol.
We began our investigation by running a keyword search on the internet with the temple’s name, which led us to different media reports related to the incident. News portals such as The Indian Express, Times Now, News9Live, etc., covered the information.
The Indian Express published the report on May 24 titled, “Man damages temple property near Tiruppur, held; BJP leader slams DMK government.” According to the report, the police arrested a man identified as U Saravanabharathi (32) of Savakatupalayam village in the Nambiyur district of the state who had entered the famous Arulmigu Avinashi Lingeshwarar Temple for allegedly attempting to steal and damage the ancient shrine’s property.
According to the News Nine report published on the same day with the title, “Accused in Avinashi Lingeshwarar temple vandalisation case mentally-ill: Tamil Nadu Police”, he entered the temple on the evening of May 22 and hid inside after it closed at around 8:30 pm. The police said that he attempted to break open the collection box (hundial), remove the headbands (parivattam) from the idols of Nayanmar, and damage the cement pots (kalasams). The accused was arrested after the temple priest opened the main door the following day, saw the sabotage, and informed the concerned authorities. After the police reached the spot, they caught hold of him when he hid on the temple tower’s tier ( rajagopuram).
Further, the official Twitter handle of Tamil Nadu Police clarified with a post on May 24 that the accused was arrested and remanded within 24 hours of the incident. The police said the accused was frustrated as the hundial did not break, so he broke some cement parts in the shrine; however, none of the idols were damaged. The police noted that he had a mental disorder and no political association.
Conclusion:
To sum up, the accused entered the temple intending to steal but was frustrated as he couldn’t open the collection box and damaged the cement pots. The man belonged to the Hindu community and had psychological issues that led to such an act. Therefore, the viral claim that some anti-Hindus demolished 63 idols from Arulmigu Avinashi Lingeshwarar Temple in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, is absolutely false.
If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.
https://thelogicalindian.com/h-upload/2023/05/26/500x300_231811-new-project-2023-05-26t154752633.webp
Fact Check
2023-05-26 10:43:12.0
‘Anti-Hindu’ Elements Vandalize Idols Of Ancient Temple In Tamil Nadu? No, Claim Viral With False Communal Spin
