Temple desecration incident: Case booked against 'motivational speaker'

Hyderabad, Oct 18 (PTI) The city police have registered a case against a 'motivational speaker' where the accused in the recent desecration of a temple idol attended the 'personality development' classes conducted by the former.

Police are investigating whether the speeches of the Mumbai-based 'motivational speaker' Munawar Zama led the accused to desecrate the idol at Muthyalamma temple at Secunderabad on October 14.

There are allegations that the motivational speaker's speeches may have led the accused to carry out the desecration of the idol, but it has to be established whether it is true or not, a police official said.

The accused stayed in a hotel and attended classes.

The case against the motivational speaker was booked for allegedly conducting the classes at the hotel without obtaining any permission, police said on Friday.

The hotel, where the classes were held, was seized by revenue authorities and its trade licence was also cancelled as the classes were held without permission. A case was also booked against the hotel management.

The 'personality development' course was planned to be conducted for a month but the classes were held for about 10 days beginning October 1.

The 30-year-old engineering graduate Salman Salim Thakur alias Salman, who allegedly desecrated the main idol at the temple, was self-radicalised by watching videos of Islamic preacher Zakir Naik and other preachers on social media and was earlier involved in similar incidents in Mumbai, the police said.

The incident triggered angry protests by local people, Hindu outfits and the BJP. PTI SJR GDK SJR KH