Centre’s MoHUA has sent demolition notices to 4 temples including Sarojini Nagar’s Prachin Shiv Mandir, Sai Mandir & Shani Mandir: Atishi
BJP’s lust for money has crossed all bounds of shamelessness; their extortion agents have reached for the gullak of Lord Shri Ram and Lord Shiva in the name of bulldozer justice: Atishi
Any demolition of a religious structure can only be done by a due process; BJP’s not following due process indicates that demolition notice is only for extortion: Atishi
In 1991, the LG back then had ordered that only the Religious Affairs Committee has the right to decide whether a religious site can be demolished or not but this matter was not sent to the committee: Atishi
Sarojini Nagar’s Prachin Shiv Mandir and Sai Dhaam Mandir are over 3 decades old; the residents have their faiths tied to these temples: Atishi
People of Delhi have had it, they’re not going to bear with BJP’s dirty politics of hate, extortion and hooliganism anymore: Atishi
NEW DELHI:
BJP’s hooliganism, extortion and bulldozer politics have reached the doors of Delhi’s temples today. AAP Senior Leader and MLA Ms Atishi informed that 4 temples in Sarojini Nagar are on the verge of being bulldozed by BJP’s Central Government. She stated — Centre’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has sent demolition notices to 4 temples including Sarojini Nagar’s Prachin Shiv Mandir, Sai Mandir & Shani Mandir. BJP’s lust for money has crossed all bounds of shamelessness; their extortion agents have reached for the gullak of Lord Shri Ram and Lord Shiva in the name of bulldozer justice. Any demolition of a religious structure can only be done by a due process; BJP’s not following due process indicates that demolition notice is only for extortion. In 1991, the LG back then had ordered that only the Religious Affairs Committee has the right to decide whether a religious site can be demolished or not but this matter was not sent to the committee. Sarojini Nagar’s Prachin Shiv Mandir and Sai Dhaam Mandir are over 3 decades old; the residents have their faiths tied to these temples. People of Delhi have had it, they’re not going to bear with BJP’s dirty politics of hate, extortion and hooliganism anymore.
Speaking out against BJP’s incessant hooliganism, AAP Senior Leader and MLA Ms Atishi said, “The Bharatiya Janata Party has been wreaking havoc throughout Delhi with its ‘Bulldozer Justice’ for several weeks now. Its leaders are going from locality to locality, not sparing a single street, and threatening innocent families and shoprunners with demolition. BJP leaders and councillors have been going door to door, bullying people into extortion – demanding money and terrorising them with the threat of running bulldozers on their property if the people do not comply. They have also been going to various shops and restaurants, and other such establishments to continue their extortion and bribery, yet again threatening to run a bulldozer over their shops if the money is not paid.”
She continued, “This hooliganism and extortion has been taking place all over Delhi at the hands of BJP councillors and leaders. However, now the situation has intensified even further, where the BJP has fallen as far as threatening the temples and places of worship in Delhi with demolition notices. Several days ago, the BJP-led Central Government issued a warning to bulldoze the Neelkanth Mahadev Mandir in Delhi’s Sriniwaspuri. And now, four temples in the Sarojini Nagar area have met with the same fate, where the Centre is yet again threatening to demolish these sacred establishments.”
Showing photographic proof of the demolition notices, Ms Atishi elaborated, “These notices have been posted outside temple’s premises/on their gates by the Central Government’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Three notices have been stuck outside Sarojini Nagar’s Prachin Shiv Mandir, Sai Mandir in H Block, and Shani Mandir in J Block respectively. The BJP’s thirst for filling its pockets and reckless extortion has reached such alarming heights that they cannot seem to withhold their hooliganism and plundering from temples; their greed has led them to loot Lord Shri Ram and Lord Shiva’s temple donations now. The BJP’s Central Government and the MCD have hence resorted to these demolition notices as yet another way of amassing however much wealth they can.”
She added, “The Aam Aadmi Party has been calling these antics of the BJP out as blatant extortion and corruption because the due process is not being followed in any manner when it comes to dealing with illegal constructions in temples or other properties. This clearly proves that the BJP’s sole intention is to extort, and that they are not bothered about the so-called illegal construction hiccups. In 1991, the then Lieutenant Governor had laid down clear and direct orders which specified that if and when the demolition of a religious establishment is to take place, the final decision on the matter lies in the hands of the Religious Affairs Committee. On the other hand, none of the cases of the temples which have been threatened with demolition by the BJP had been taken to any religious affairs committee whatsoever. These temples were hence issued demolition notices without any due process, simply for the BJP to meet its money-minded ends, and to continue its hooliganism and loot across the state.”
She concluded, “Today, with these four notices threatening demolition of temples in Sarojini Nagar, the BJP has exposed itself with yet another example of its irrational bulldozer politics. The Aam Aadmi Party would like to tell the BJP that their intimidation, hooliganism, and extortion efforts will not be tolerated by the people of Delhi anymore. The Prachin Shiv Mandir, and the Sai Mandir, and the others in Sarojini Nagar are all at least over three decades old, and are the abode for the faith of many locals. Today, there are significant redevelopment projects taking place in the area due to which people have shifted away. Despite this, they travel long distances to come back to these temples on all kinds of occasions, during festivals and weddings, because of how deeply connected their faith is to these places of worship. Hence, the BJP must know that this ‘Bulldozer’ politics of theirs and their efforts to bully Delhi residents into extortion will not be allowed to continue. We will not let them terrorise the innocent people this way, and nor will the people of Delhi put up with their antics any longer.”