New Delhi: India on Wednesday condemned the reported demolition of a 100- to 125-year-old Hindu temple in Siraj village, Narowal district, Punjab, calling it a “reprehensible act of vandalism” against a minority place of worship.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the “apparent apathy” of Pakistani authorities and their failure to protect the historic temple were “alarming”.
Official Spokesperson’s response to media queries regarding reported demolition of a century-old Hindu temple in Pakistan
🔗 https://t.co/jPd7WzGdUD pic.twitter.com/iFn4ElXT2m
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) September 2, 2026
India demanded a prompt, transparent probe, accountability for those responsible, immediate restoration of the desecrated shrine and stronger protection for minority communities and their religious heritage.
Local residents, Hindu representatives and the Pakistan Masiha Millat Party (PMMP) allege the temple was deliberately demolished on August 21 to facilitate use of its nearly 1,000-square-metre land for an adjoining madrassa.
PMMP chairman Aslam Parvez Sahotra accused members of the banned Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and alleged temple materials were removed.
He also claimed authorities failed to implement a January 2026 order cancelling a seminary lease and addressing illegal occupation.
Pakistan’s Punjab government, however, said the temple collapsed during torrential rain. Evacuee Trust Property Board official Rana Iftikhar said the temple, more than a century old, was not leased and its restoration would be considered.
The controversy comes amid continued concerns over attacks, encroachments and threats involving Hindu religious sites and minority communities in Pakistan.
