Rayagada, Jan 17: A shocking incident involving a government school teacher has triggered widespread outrage in Rayagada district after he allegedly vandalised religious idols on a school campus while under the influence of alcohol.

The incident occurred on Thursday evening at the Ambadala Government Higher Secondary School, run by the Welfare Department, in Muniguda block. According to reports, the accused teacher, identified as K. Krishna Raju, arrived at the school in an inebriated condition and roamed around the premises for some time.

Eyewitnesses said students and teachers present on the campus were stunned by his behaviour and were too afraid to confront him. Finding no one to engage with, the teacher reportedly began talking to the idols of Lord Ganesha and Goddess Saraswati installed on the school premises. When he received no response, he allegedly lost his temper and damaged the idols by hitting them with a stone, breaking parts of both statues.

The incident has sparked concern and anger among local residents and various organisations, who termed the act highly condemnable, especially within an educational institution. An FIR has been lodged at the Ambadala police station, and demands for immediate and strict action against the accused have intensified.

Notably, this is not the first controversy involving the teacher. Earlier, a video purportedly showing him assaulting students while intoxicated had gone viral on social media.

District Welfare Officer Asima Rao said an official inquiry is underway and assured that stringent action will be taken once the investigation report is received.

Meanwhile, members of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad submitted memorandums to District Collector Ashutosh Kulkarni and the Rayagada ASP, demanding action against the accused teacher as well as the school headmaster for alleged negligence. The organisations have called for exemplary punishment to prevent recurrence of such incidents.