Protest continues, CM asks Modi to intervene

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 11

Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to personally intervene to resolve the tension triggered among the Ravidas community as a result of the recent demolition of the Sri Guru Ravidas Temple and Samadhi, located at Tughlaqabad, Delhi, on the orders of the Supreme Court.

The CM’s initiative came after statewide protests by members of the community under the banner of the Guru Ravidas Jayanti Samaroh Samiti, which has called for nationwide bandh on August 13 and announced to observe August 15 as a black day.

Extending all legal and financial assistance to the community to take the matter forward and rebuild the demolished structures at the same place, the Chief Minister has constituted a five-member committee to meet religious and political representatives of the community and formulate a comprehensive strategy to resolve the issue with the Centre. The committee consists of Chaudhary Santokh Singh, Charanjit Singh Channi, Raj Kumar Chabbewal, Aruna Chaudhary and Sushil Kumar Rinku.

The CM said he did not wish to comment on the Supreme Court judgment that had led to razing of the religious structure, but he was personally not in favour of demolition of monuments/structures of such historical importance connected so deeply with the sentiments of any community.

The CM has also appealed to the community to call off protests as his government was ready to extend full support to them to get the matter amicably resolved with the Union Government. While appealing to the PM to step in for the resolution of the sensitive issue, Captain Amarinder also personally spoke to Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri to seek reallotment of the same site, which reportedly belongs to the Delhi Development Authority, to enable the community to reconstruct the temple and along with the sarovar, which have been demolished.

Legends say that Guru Ravidas visited the sacred place around 1509 during the reign of Sikander Lodhi.

Jalandhar:Protests by the Ravidas community entered second day today over the demolition of Ravidas Temple in Delhi. Former Union Minister Vijay Sampla today held a meeting with BJP and SAD leaders over the issue and declared that BJP and SAD leaders would meet the President on the issue.

Various organisations under the banner of the Sarva Samaj Sangharsh Committee, local AAP and SAD leaders gathered at the Ravidas Chowk and observed a daylong protest while blocking the complete stretch from Nakodar Chowk to Wadala Chowk.