Days after India condemned the destruction of a century-old Hindu temple in Pakistan, Islamabad has blamed the incident on “torrential rains,” calling India’s concerns “politically motivated” and “false propaganda”. The statement comes amid controversy surrounding the demolition of a temple located in Siraj village in the Narowal area of Punjab province. According to locals, minority rights groups and a political body, the temple was razed by a group of religious zealots who wanted to take control of its land for the expansion of an adjacent seminary.<h2>What we know about the temple destruction</h2>According to reports, members of a banned far-right Islamic party called Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) were behind the demolition of the temple, which is about 100-125 years old. After the incident came to light, the Pakistan Masiha Millat Party (PMMP), a minority-focused political outfit, has urged the Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif-led Punjab government to take action against those involved in the alleged demolition of the religious structure and ensure its reconstruction.<h2>Pakistan blames demolition on rain</h2>Responding to India’s concerns over the incident, Pakistan blamed the demolition of the temple, which has stood for more than 100 years, on heavy rains and rejected the allegations made by India.“We categorically reject the false and politically motivated assertions made by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs regarding the Hindu temple at Adda Siraj, Narowal,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said in a statement.He added, “The temple’s structure was damaged on 21 July 2026 due to torrential rains. The local authorities have already surveyed the rain damage and initiated steps for the restoration of the building.”<h2>What did India say?</h2>Earlier on Wednesday (Sep 2), Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed “deep concern” following the “disturbing reports of the destruction of a historic Hindu temple in village Siraj, Narowal, Pakistan.” He unequivocally condemned the “reprehensible act of vandalism against a minority place of worship.”“The apparent apathy of authorities and failure to protect this century-old temple is alarming. Such incidents are a stark reminder of the continuing vulnerability of minority communities and the egregious violations of their religious freedoms and places of worship in Pakistan,” he added.Jaiswal further called upon the Pakistani government “to conduct a prompt and transparent investigation into this incident and ensure that those responsible are held fully accountable”. He also urged “immediate remedial measures to restore the desecrated temple and fulfil its primary obligation to guarantee the safety, security and well-being of all its minority citizens and their cultural heritage.” &nbsp;

Pakistan has blamed “torrential rains” for the destruction of a century-old Hindu temple in Narowal, rejecting India’s condemnation as “politically motivated” and “false propaganda”.

Days after India condemned the destruction of a century-old Hindu temple in Pakistan, Islamabad has blamed the incident on “torrential rains,” calling India’s concerns “politically motivated” and “false propaganda”. The statement comes amid controversy surrounding the demolition of a temple located in Siraj village in the Narowal area of Punjab province. According to locals, minority rights groups and a political body, the temple was razed by a group of religious zealots who wanted to take control of its land for the expansion of an adjacent seminary. What we know about the temple destruction According to reports, members of a banned far-right Islamic party called Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) were behind the demolition of the temple, which is about 100-125 years old. After the incident came to light, the Pakistan Masiha Millat Party (PMMP), a minority-focused political outfit, has urged the Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif-led Punjab government to take action against those involved in the alleged demolition of the religious structure and ensure its reconstruction. Pakistan blames demolition on rain Responding to India’s concerns over the incident, Pakistan blamed the demolition of the temple, which has stood for more than 100 years, on heavy rains and rejected the allegations made by India. “We categorically reject the false and politically motivated assertions made by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs regarding the Hindu temple at Adda Siraj, Narowal,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said in a statement. He added, “The temple’s structure was damaged on 21 July 2026 due to torrential rains. The local authorities have already surveyed the rain damage and initiated steps for the restoration of the building.” What did India say? Earlier on Wednesday (Sep 2), Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed “deep concern” following the “disturbing reports of the destruction of a historic Hindu temple in village Siraj, Narowal, Pakistan.” He unequivocally condemned the “reprehensible act of vandalism against a minority place of worship.” “The apparent apathy of authorities and failure to protect this century-old temple is alarming. Such incidents are a stark reminder of the continuing vulnerability of minority communities and the egregious violations of their religious freedoms and places of worship in Pakistan,” he added. Jaiswal further called upon the Pakistani government “to conduct a prompt and transparent investigation into this incident and ensure that those responsible are held fully accountable”. He also urged “immediate remedial measures to restore the desecrated temple and fulfil its primary obligation to guarantee the safety, security and well-being of all its minority citizens and their cultural heritage.”

Pakistan has blamed “torrential rains” for the destruction of a century-old Hindu temple in Narowal, rejecting India’s condemnation as “politically motivated” and “false propaganda”.

Pakistan blames ‘torrential rains’ for destruction of century-old Hindu temple, calls India’s concerns ‘politically motivated’

India on Wednesday (September 2) strongly condemned the reported destruction of a historic Hindu temple in Siraj village in Pakistan’s Narowal district, calling it a “reprehensible act of vandalism” against a century-old minority place of worship.&nbsp;Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed concern over the incident and criticised the apparent failure of local authorities to protect the temple.&nbsp;"We have noted with deep concern the disturbing reports of the destruction of a historic Hindu temple in village Siraj, Narowal, Pakistan. "We unequivocally condemn this reprehensible act of vandalism against a century-old minority place of worship," Jaiswal said.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Official Spokesperson’s response to media queries regarding reported demolition of a century-old Hindu temple in Pakistan 🔗 <a href="https://t.co/jPd7WzGdUD">https://t.co/jPd7WzGdUD</a> <a href="https://t.co/iFn4ElXT2m">pic.twitter.com/iFn4ElXT2m</a>&mdash; Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/2095165456420336000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Jaiswal said the reported destruction also highlights the continuing difficulties faced by religious minorities in Pakistan and the protection of their places of worship.&nbsp;"The apparent apathy of authorities and failure to protect this century-old temple is alarming," Jaiswal added. "Such incidents are a stark reminder of the continuing vulnerability of minority communities and the egregious violations of their religious freedoms and places of worship in Pakistan."&nbsp;New Delhi called on Pakistan to investigate the incident and take action against those responsible. India also urged Islamabad to restore the damaged religious site and ensure the protection of minority communities and their cultural heritage.&nbsp;"We call upon the Government of Pakistan to conduct a prompt and transparent investigation into this incident and ensure that those responsible are held fully accountable," He stated.&nbsp;"Furthermore, the Government of Pakistan must take immediate remedial measures to restore the desecrated temple and fulfil its primary obligation to guarantee the safety, security and well-being of all its minority citizens and their cultural heritage," he added.&nbsp;According to Pakistani media outlet Dawn, the century-old Hindu temple was demolished on August 21.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/defence-pulse/japan-rearms-drone-40-offers-a-glimpse-into-tokyo-s-new-military-1788360137143">Japan rearms: 'Drone 40' offers a glimpse into Tokyo’s new military</a>&nbsp;A minority rights group told Dawn that the structure was deliberately demolished to make way for the expansion of an adjoining seminary. However, the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) claimed that the temple collapsed following heavy rainfall.&nbsp;The Pakistan Masiha Millat Party (PMMP), which works for minority rights, alleged that a group demolished the temple and removed bricks, metal fittings from the dome and other material from the site.&nbsp;PMMP Chairman Aslam Parvez Sahotra and some local residents met the Punjab additional home secretary on August 28, according to Dawn. They submitted a written application seeking action against those responsible for the demolition and officials accused of failing to protect the religious site.<h3>Shrinking number of minority religious sites</h3>The incident comes amid concerns over the condition of Hindu and Sikh religious sites in Pakistan. A report presented before the Parliamentary Committee on Minority Caucus stated that only 37 of the 1,817 Hindu temples and Sikh gurdwaras across Pakistan remain operational.&nbsp;The data also highlighted concerns over the condition of centuries-old places of worship, citing poor government maintenance and a declining population of Hindu and Sikh communities.

India condemned the destruction of a century old Hindu temple in Pakistan’s Narowal district, calling it an “alarming” failure to protect minorities and demanding a prompt probe, accountability and restoration of the site.

India on Wednesday (September 2) strongly condemned the reported destruction of a historic Hindu temple in Siraj village in Pakistan’s Narowal district, calling it a “reprehensible act of vandalism” against a century-old minority place of worship. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed concern over the incident and criticised the apparent failure of local authorities to protect the temple. "We have noted with deep concern the disturbing reports of the destruction of a historic Hindu temple in village Siraj, Narowal, Pakistan. "We unequivocally condemn this reprehensible act of vandalism against a century-old minority place of worship," Jaiswal said.

India condemned the destruction of a century old Hindu temple in Pakistan’s Narowal district, calling it an “alarming” failure to protect minorities and demanding a prompt probe, accountability and restoration of the site.

‘Alarming apathy’: India demands probe, restoration of century old Hindu temple destroyed in Pakistan

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Pakistan blames ‘torrential rains’ for destruction of century-old Hindu temple, calls India’s concerns ‘politically motivated’

Alarming apathy: India slams Pakistan over century old Hindu temple destruction