More than 100 Muslim youths formed a human chain to protect a Hanuman temple as mobs went on the rampage in nearby areas of Bangalore on Tuesday night following an offensive social media post.

A few kilometres from the temple, three people died when police fired to quell arson and vandalism.

In the middle of the mayhem, the youths guarded the temple for over three hours till the police had brought the situation under control past midnight.

Hanif, one of the youths who stood guard, later said: “We are sons of this city and it is our responsibility to stand up when it matters. At least my friends and I had not done anything like this before last night, but I promise to stand up for what is right.”

A. Nadeem, who had stepped out with his friends to buy dinner from a small restaurant near the scene of violence at Kaval Byrasandra in the city’s east earlier in the evening, told The Telegraph that he and his friends started getting messages about the arson attacks around 9pm.

“We noticed around 10 people standing outside the Hanuman temple with hands locked in a human chain. We got the message and joined them,” Nadeem said.

“I had no idea that the mob had torched the house of our MLA (the Congress’s Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy), which is very close to the temple. But once I saw the messages about the violence circulating, I informed more friends who joined us in the human chain,” Nadeem said.

Although there was no one inside the temple, Nadeem and his friends thought it would be unwise to leave it without any protection. “All that’s needed is one twisted brain and a stone. So we stayed put till past midnight when the riot cops came out in large numbers in the area,” he added.

Hanif echoed him and said they wanted to ensure nobody touched the temple. “Anything like that would have worsened the situation. That apart, we wanted to send a message of peace to everyone,” Hanif said.

None among the attackers, however, came near the temple. “Some of the boys with us kept saying we should stand there even if we were attacked. But fortunately, none of the protesters came after us,” Hanif said.

Nadeem and Hanif said they were not trying to claim credit for what was a team effort. “Just because we are talking to you doesn’t mean we were the ones behind the human chain. It was a team effort and each of the more than 100 people who joined hands was responsible for the idea,” Nadeem said.