Unidentified persons vandalise ancient Ganesh idol in Andhra Pradesh

A centuries-old Ganesh statue has been destroyed by unidentified persons in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district. The incident occurred at a Ganesh temple located atop the Vinayaka Konda hill in the Phirangipuram police station limits in Guntur Rural district. The police have ruled out a communal angle in the case and suggest that the idol could have been broken by someone looking for treasure. Videos of the vandalised Ganesh idol are being circulated on social media, showing the granite idol broken into pieces from the lower half. Guntur Superintendent of Police Arif Hafeez said that the incident was brought to light on Monday morning by a few local residents and that a case has been registered. The investigation is ongoing, and the culprits will be nabbed soon. The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have taken to social media to escalate the matter and question the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) for not taking action. BJP state general secretary Vishnu Vardhan Reddy has demanded strict action against the culprits.