Bhilwara: Two men climbed a mobile tower in Gulabpura area of Bhilwara Saturday demanding the return of a 25-year-old idol of Lord Shiva allegedly taken from near Nanga Ji Kheda village, prompting police and administrative officials to try to bring them down.Suresh Jat (25), and Abhishek Vaishnav (26), climbed the tower near the Mansi river along the Jaipur-Chittorgarh National Highway. They remained there till evening despite repeated attempts by officials to persuade them to descend.The duo claimed a Delhi-based businessman had placed the life-size idol beside the road about 25 years ago, with plans to build a temple there. They alleged residents of Luhariya village in the Mandal assembly area took away the idol without consulting the locals.They said they had approached police and the administration seeking its return so villagers could build a temple and offer prayers. Alleging that their demand had not been acted upon, residents of more than a dozen villages gathered on the spot, following which the two youths climbed the tower.Gulabpura SHO Sanjay Gurjar, along with police and administrative officials, reached the spot and continued efforts to bring the youths down safely.Gurjar said the idol had been lying beside the highway for about 25 years and had not been installed by villagers. Residents of Luhariya later took it away, he said.“We are persuading both sides,” Gurjar said, adding that the businessman who had originally placed the idol had submitted a report to police stating that no action should be taken.The two men were still on the tower till evening.
