Guwahati: In a barbaric incident that can very well fuel communal tension in the region, a 200-year temple was vandalised by unidentified miscreants on Tuesday.
The temple is located in the remote tribal village of Damasra Tripura Punji, situated in Ratabari. The incident which took place at night has sparked severe outrage among the locals and religious communities across the Karimganj district.
The ancient site has been revered by the tribal community for more than 200 years as it is believed that the temple was built in the early 19th century. The idols of Shiva Parvati and Lakshmi Narayan were worshipped in the temple.
The women of the tribal community in the village have alleged that miscreants have deliberately set the temple on fire to create communal tension and hurt the sentiments of Hindu people.
They have called for the strictest punishment for the alleged culprits of the incident.
Senior police officials, including the district commissioner and superintendent of police, immediately reached the scene, and the state-appointed paramilitary forces to maintain peace and sanity around the location.
Communal tension has been part of the Ritabari area in the past due to a dispute been land between two communities with each group claiming the land to be theirs.
The police have launched an investigation into the matter and are looking for the alleged miscreants.