KARACHI: A man was arrested on Monday for entering and vandalizing a Hindu temple in Pakistan’s Karachi.

The man entered a Hindu temple in Ranchore Line area of Karachi in the evening and damaged the statue of Hindu deity Jog Maya using a hammer, Pakistani Urdu language news television network Samaa TV reported.

The accused was later apprehended by the public and handed over to local police. According to media reports, the accused has been booked under sections that deal with blasphemy.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa condemned the incident, calling it a “state-backed terror against minorities.” “Another Hindu temple desecrated in Ranchore line, Karachi Pakistan Attackers justified vandalism saying ‘Temple is unworthy of being a place of worship’. This is state backed terror against minorities of Pakistan,” Sirsa tweeted.

Earlier in October, unidentified thieves had desecrated Hanuman Devi Mata Mandir in Sindh province. They took away jewelry and cash worth thousands of rupees.

In recent years, there has been a surge in attacks on places of worship of religious minorities in Pakistan. The country has been repeatedly slammed by the international community for not safeguarding the interest of its minorities. (ANI)