Ravidas temple demolition: Cong leaders move SC for reconstruction

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 27

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Two Congress leaders – Haryana unit chief Ashok Tanwar and former MP Pradeep Jain Aditya – on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking reconstruction of Guru Ravidas Temple built on forest land in Delhi which was demolished earlier this month on the orders of the top court.

Maintaining that they were not seeking any property rights over the land, the two Congress leaders submitted that they were only “for enforcement and protection of their right to worship the pious land where Saint Guru Ravidas lived, and which was gifted to him by Sultan Sikander Lodhi in 1509.”

The petitioners have a fundamental right to worship the site as well as the temple/Guru Dham, they said, contending that the demolision amounted to violation of their right to religion guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution.

Contending that that the pious site has been worshipped for 500-600 years and was protected as per the provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, the petitioners claimed that the “Guru Dham” and the adjoining structures had been there for centuries and prior to any master plans or modern English law system now prevalent in India.

“Hence, no violation can be caused by a historical structure, which has come under green zone under laws which are subsequent to structure. The above temple/Guru Dham was in Jahapanah City Forest, which is actually an urban park where people go for morning walks,” they submitted.

A mystic poet-sant and one of the stalwarts of Bhakti movement, Guru Ravidas (1450-1520) has a large number of followers, mostly dalits, in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. After the demolition of the temple situated in Tughlaqabad area of Delhi his followers had been protesting against it.

Taking strong exception to protests against its recent order to demolish an old Guru Ravidas Temple built on forest land in Delhi, the Supreme Court had on August 19 directed governments of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi to ensure that no law and order problems were created over the issue.

“Everything cannot be political. Our orders can’t be given a political colour by anybody on the Earth,” a Bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra had said.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal had said they would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his intervention in the matter. SAD wanted the government to provide a piece of land for rebuilding the temple. Certain AAP leaders too had sought Modi’s intervention to restore the historic temple to its pristine glory.

The top court had on April 2 ordered that the premises build on forest land had to be vacated and peaceful possession handed over to the DDA. However, it was not done and on August 2, a false statement was allegedly made on behalf of office bearers of Guru Ravidas Jayanti Samaroh Samiti that the premises had been vacated.

After being told about it, the top court on August 9 directed the DDA to remove the structure by August 10 and asked the Commissioner of Delhi Police to provide protection for the purpose. The Chief Secretary of Delhi was also directed to ensure compliance of its order. It had also sought personal presence of officer bearers of the Samiti and contempt notices be issued to them, if the order was not complied with.