Controversy erupts as residents of Panchkula's DLF Colony perform yajna for new temple

Panchkula, January 22

Residents of DLF Colony here today held a yajna outside a building for making a temple in the area in line with Ram Temple consecration at Ayodhya. Residents said they had been raising demand for a temple for the past seven years. Finally, they started the process to make a temple on their own today.

The event was marred by a controversy after a video of some individuals breaking an area demarked with bricks for keeping the temple idols on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday went viral.

Col Narender Deswal (retired), president, Valley Resident Welfare Society, said some people came in the middle of the night and damaged the brick platform constructed for keeping temple idols in a room.

He said these people were against the use of a building room for the temple claiming that it was meant to be used as a yoga room. He said, “But the land in question has been registered for use as a religious place.”

He said individuals, who damaged brick-work, had submitted a complaint against them to the police.

Members of the Valley Resident Welfare Society shared various problems being faced by residents in the area. They said the area lacked numerous basic facilities including a dispensary. “We have been given numerous assurances for constructing a dispensary in the area which has 1,800 families, but nothing has been done in this regard at the ground level,” said society members.

Col Deswal said there was no community centre and direct road connectivity from the main road to the area. He said, “Since October 2017, residents have been forced to maintain society by themselves. They have spent Rs 26.23 crore on its maintenance from their own pockets.”

Waterlogging, faulty construction of roads and flats were some other issues faced by residents in the area, he added. Meanwhile, the controversy over making a temple in a building room between residents and those against it continued till evening.