Gadag: A statue of Goddess Saraswati at the Saraswati temple in Gadag was allegedly vandalised on Friday night, with the incident coming to light on Saturday afternoon.Suryanarayan Nargundkar, a resident near the historic Trikuteshwara temple complex, where the Saraswati temple is located, told TOI that the statue was found damaged. “Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials tried to cover up the incident by applying black paint to the defaced portion. This is the fourth attempt to vandalise the same statue in the last two years, but this time the miscreants appear to have succeeded. The ASI has deployed a Group D staff member at the site, but she cannot remain there at night. The ASI must provide round-the-clock security for the historic temple complex,” he demanded.Condemning the incident, right-wing leader Raju Khanappanavar said the temple was built in the 8th century and historical records indicate it had been defaced in the 16th century. “Despite being under the protection of the ASI, the temple has now faced a similar situation once again,” he said.SP Rohan Jagadeesh told TOI that Gadag Town police had visited the temple and assessed the situation. “There is no clarity about the incident. Since all the statues are historical, they remain locked under ASI supervision. It is for ASI officials to determine whether the statue has actually been defaced. If they file a complaint, we will register a case and launch an investigation,” he said.
