Tension erupted in the communally sensitive town of Dhar in India's Madhya Pradesh state on Sunday after a group of unidentified individuals attempted to install a statue of the revered Hindu Goddess Saraswati at the disputed 12th century Bhojshala historical site.
Investigating officer Dr. Indrajeet Balkawar, Dhar's Additional Superintendent of Police, told Indian media that the unidentified accused cut metallic wired fencing from the rear and placed the stone idol inside the premises.
Right-wing leaders Ashok Jain and Gopal Sharma claimed that the idol of Goddess Saraswati had emerged on its own in the Bhojshala premises.
However, the police and local authorities swung into action and shifted the statue safely out of Bhojshala.
Based on a complaint from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), a police case was registered against unidentified suspects.
For many years, the Hindus have asserted that the ancient Bhojshala historical site is a revered temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, whereas the Muslims have argued that it is a mosque named after Kamal Moula.
To manage the dispute, the ASI has allowed people from the Muslim community to offer prayers every Friday and on Islamic festivals while Hindu devotees are permitted to pray every Tuesday, as well as on the divine occasion of Basant Panchami, a festival dedicated to Goddess Saraswati at the Bhojshala premises.