A 300-year-old temple was demolished in Rajasthan's Alwar on 17 April, following which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday, 22 April, launched at attack on the ruling Congress government in the state over its "hurting of Hindu faith."
Three temples built in the Sarai Bazar area were demolished by the municipal authority, in addition to some other shops and establishments. This came after the municipal body had issued 81 notices, asking for encroachments in public places to be vacated.
While a complaint was lodged with the police in connection with the razing of the temple, no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered in the matter so far. The police has said that further action will be taken only after investigation.
Two temples were part of the anti-encroachment drive, including the Shiva temple. Rajasthan Urban Development and Housing Department Minister Shanti Dhariwal has said that there was no issue over the demolition of the first.
The demolition has fuelled a political tussle between the BJP and the Congress, with the latter pointing out that the BJP controls the municipal body, which conducted the demolition.
BJP Attacks Congress Over Temple Demolition
BJP leader Amit Malviya said that the Congress had "hurt the faith of Hindus," as he condemned the demolition of the temple.
"300 years old Shiva temple demolished in the name of development in Alwar, Rajasthan… Shedding tears on Karauli and Jahangirpuri and hurting the faith of Hindus - this is the secularism of Congress," he stated.
Malviya has also alleged that the Rajgarh administration had bulldozed the homes and shops of 85 Hindus on 18 April.
BJP Rajasthan President Dr Satish Poonia has constituted a five-member committee to look into the temple's demolition.
Meanwhile, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) National Spokesperson Vinod Bansal claimed that apart from demolishing the temple, the Congress government also broke the idols present in the temple.
'Action Taken to Avenge Jahangirpuri Demolitions in Delhi': Sambit Patra
BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said that it was unfortunate to see an attack on the temple of God in the name of development. He also targeted Rahul Gandhi and said that the Rajasthan government did this to avenge the Jahangirpuri demolitions in Delhi. He said that Congress was carrying forward vote bank politics with a sense of revenge.
Defending the matter on behalf of the BJP, Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathod presented a paper on the board's proposal, claiming that the proposal had asked to keep the road 30 feet at the place where the ancient temple was.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Kirodilal Meena and Alwar MP Baba Balaknath went to Rajgarh to inquire about the incident. Kirodilal also sat on a dharna in protest against this action.
Meena also visited the Shiva Temple on Saturday, 23 April.
"We were on an overnight dharna here in Alwar, but we've not heard from the Administration yet. Ashok Gehlot deployed a bulldozer to demolish houses & a temple, while he has been condemning bulldozing in other states," BJP MP Kirodi Meena said in Alwar, as per ANI.
'Demanded That Demolished Temples be Redeveloped': Meena
On Friday, Meena said, "I've spoken to the district administration officials. We demanded that all the three temples that have been demolished should be redeveloped & the administration has agreed to it. We also demanded to register a case against officials who did this."
"We also demanded compensation to those who have legal documents but their buildings have been demolished," he added.
He also accused the Congress party of appeasement.
"Congress has a mentality of appeasement and has been doing that since the beginning. Gehlot government ruthlessly demolished an old temple just like Aurangzeb did, it’s a total injustice."
'Temple Priests Shifted the Idols to Another Place': District Magistrate
District Magistrate Shivprasad Nakate, however, told ANI that before the encroachment drive, the temple priests shifted the idols to another place.
He also said that a consensus decision was taken during the municipality meeting to remove the illegal encroachments present on the roadside.
Satish Guria, Rajgarh Municipality Chairperson, called accusations against him baseless, saying that the board never mentioned demolishing temples in its proposal and said that everything was done by the administration, according to ANI.
Congress Accuses BJP of Vote-Bank Politics
The Congress has accused the BJP of resorting to the use of religion for vote-bank politics.
"They do not even leave Ram's house for votes - the municipal board which passed the resolution took this coercive action - it is the board of BJP. Whereas now the BJP and Godi media are making it a big issue and saying that the Congress government of Rajasthan is running bulldozer and destroying the temple. Have some shame," Shashi Kant Sharma, officer on special duty to the chief minister, wrote on Twitter.
UDH Minister Shanti Dhariwal, a Congress leader, has said that this was solely the municipal council's decision, adding that it is ruled entirely by the BJP and passed a resolution without asking for any directions.
Talking to reporters at his Hospital Road residence, Dhariwal said that there was no opposition on the removal of one temple, but the BJP raised a hue and cry over the removal of another temple.
"The BJP board itself had decided to remove the temple, no permission was taken from the government in this. The incident of removing the temple is also three days old. Nothing happened during that time. Now BJP people are giving attention to this matter."
Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra said in a press conference that the board of the city council in Rajgarh, where the razing was carried out, belongs to the BJP.
"The removal of encroachment has been done under the supervision of this board. Orders to remove the encroachment from the market were also given by the board itself. BJP is trying to defame the Congress government in this matter," he stated.
He further claimed that the removal of the temple's encroachment had started during previous rule of the BJP government. It was the BJP that had promised a road called the 'Gaurav Path' through the area.
Dotasra added that no collector was asked for or has given permission for the demolition, claiming that the municipal board, after orders from its president, took the decision.
He added that the government has also given orders to place the idols back, according to ANI.
"I'm sorry to say, it has become a fashion; issues are made in the name of temples now. We respect temples, we're more religious than people from BJP... We don't use religion for vote bank," Rajasthan Minister Mahesh Joshi was quoted as saying by ANI, in retaliation to the saffron party's aspersions.
According to the Congress, the Rajgarh municipal council has 35 members, of which 34 are from the BJP.
Temple Not Even 30 Years Old: Congress Leader
Meanwhile, on Saturday, 23 April, Congress MLA Johari Lal Meena said the temple was not even 30 years old and questioned why the BJP had left Rajgarh.
"If BJP hasn't done anything wrong, why they have left Rajgarh. Neither the municipality councillors nor the chairman is to be seen. If the chairman didn't sign the order, why did he run away? Thieves abscond, but I stayed among the people," Johari Lal Meena said in Alwar, as per ANI.
"For the last 35 years, BJP's in the municipality, they can't prove anything against me. Demolition was done by BJP. Congress people were not there though it's our duty that we'll restore it. It's wrong to say the temple is 300 years old, it isn't even 30 years old," he added.
Alwar District Collector Submits Report
The Alwar District Collector has sent a factual report to the government. According to the report, a proposal to remove the encroachment was passed on 8 September, 2021, in the second meeting of the Municipality Board, stating problems in the master plan and Gaurav Path. On 6 April, notices were issued marking all the encroachments.
It was mentioned in the report that the Executive Officer (EO) of the Municipality had sought police personnel on 12 April 2022, during the removal of encroachments. Everyone was informed two days before the removal of the encroachment.
Regarding the temple about which there is a dispute, the report also claimed it was recently constructed and built on a drain. The idols had been removed even before the encroachment was removed.
The removed idols are being established elsewhere as per law by the Rajgarh Municipality.
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