House shocked, probe ordered into theft of Raghunath idol

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 9

The Vidhan Sabha today expressed shock and concern over the theft of the idol of Raghunath from a temple in Kullu district.

As the proceedings of the House started, Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh read a message in which he expressed concern over the theft of the idol. He said the SP Kullu had reached the spot. A dog squad and a team of state forensic laboratory had also been rushed to the spot. The police had been alerted.

The Additional Director General, law and order, had also been rushed to the spot and inquiry into the matter would be carried out promptly by the government, he said.

Leader of the Opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal said the law and order situation was worsening. A few months ago, some silver ornaments were stolen from the temple. After that, the administration should have woken and increased the security around the temple.

The Raghunath idol led the Kullu Dasehra procession and all other idols of the area pay obeisance to it. It had great religious and cultural significance. The government should have installed a close-circuit camera in the temple to increase its security, Dhumal said.

The CM said the security and control of the Raghunath temple was not in the hands of the state government. The private management of the temple did not demand the security but the state government would not spare any effort to recover the stolen idol.

Karan Singh, Congress MLA, whose family manages and owns the Raghunath temple, said the idol was brought here from Ayodhya in 1860. He also said the state government should recover the idol as it was of great significance to the heritage of Kullu.