Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 10

Dalit leaders from all political parties reacted sharply to the demolition of the historical Guru Ravidas temple at Tughlaqabad in Delhi early this morning.

In a statement this evening, Jalandhar Congress MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh said, “It was painful to know that a temple of Guru Ravidas in the Tughlakabad area of Delhi was demolished. The police removed the idol of Guru Ravidas and saroop of Guru Granth Sahib from the gurdwara and arrested the devotees present there. It reveals the anti-Dalit face of the BJP-led government.”

He further said, “The decision to demolish the temple is an act of beadbi (sacrilege) and has hurt the sentiments of the followers of Guru Ravidas. It has led to an uproar in Punjab with people coming out on the streets and expressing their anger.”

Chaudhary Santokh Singh recounted his visit to the temple some weeks ago to express solidarity with the devotees. The Guru Ravidas temple has been in existence for a long time and its foundation stone was laid by Babu Jagjeevan Ram. I stand up for the devotees and will meet the Union Minister of Urban Development and the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi to seek an appropriate solution of the matter to ensure that the temple was restored. Also, I urge the followers of Guru Ravidas to remain peaceful and not to resort to violence.”

Paramjit Singh Kainth, president of the National Scheduled Castes Alliance, also condemned the demolition of the temple carried out by the Delhi Development Authority in such a hasty manner.

Kainth said he, along with Ad Dharma Mission, Khuralgarh Sahib, headed by Sant Satwinder Singh Heera, and other like-minded organisations had submitted a letter to Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, last month regarding the issue of the temple, which was then under sub judice in the Supreme Court of India.

Kainth said, “This act will not be forgotten by the members of the Scheduled Castes community. The Ram Janmabhoomi issue has been going on for generations and every proceeding related to it is handled with utmost caution. Likewise, this place too was of highest importance for the SC community and hence we support the bandh.”