Priest Attacked After Fake News Of President Kovind Not Allowed At Temple

Pushkar, Rajasthan: A priest at the Brahma temple in Rajasthan's Pushkar was attacked by a man disguised as a devotee, for allegedly not allowing President Ram Nath Kovind to enter, the police said on Tuesday.

The priest was attacked after a few local people circulated messages on WhatsApp that President Kovind was not being permitted to enter the temple premises.

The accused who has been identified as Ashok Meghwal, stood in a queue and tried to hit Mahadev Puri, the priest, as soon as his turn came to offer prayers.

"Meghwal who claims to be a doctor, is mentally unstable," said Mahaveer Sharma, the officer at the police station in Pushkar. 

The President, who was on a trip to Pushkar last week, offered prayers on the temple's doorstep since his wife reportedly had trouble climbing stairs as she has a knee problem. 

The attack was caught on camera and the footage went viral where the accused is seen waving a sharp-edged weapon for a few minutes scaring other devotees. 

This attack has raised several questions on the security arrangements of the temple where devotees have to go through a metal detector to enter the premises.

(With inputs from ANI & IANS)