Warangal: The deployment of armed police personnel near the sanctum sanctorum of the historic Bhadrakali Temple in Warangal city has sparked a controversy with devotees questioning the move of the temple authorities.
Devotees were surprised to see armed police personnel deployed near the sanctorum and questioned the temple authorities about the development, as never in the past were armed personnel deployed inside the temple. Usually, police personnel are deployed near the sanctorum to control the crowd and to prevent unruliness.
Thousands of devotees visit the temple during the Dasara festival and deployment of armed police personnel near the sanctorum was making them uncomfortable. Duties in the sanctum sanctorum were different from other places on the temple premises. Cops were deployed at the temple to ensure easy darshan and help people, but by deploying armed police personnel near the sanctorum, the temple authorities were violating the norms, said a devotee.
Every year the police personnel used to be deployed near Dwajasthambam, however this time the executive officer of the temple deployed armed personnel near the sanctorum creating confusion and fear among the devotees.
Being a very prominent temple of the State, it has an excellent security system in place and there are a large number of CCTV installed all over the temple premises. The deployment of armed personnel inside the temple has not gone well with the devotees.