A mazar and temple were demolished on the Bhajanpura main road on Sunday morning. Several police personnel have been deployed in the area to resist any religious clashes to crop up.
A team from the Public Works Department and security forces reached the area at 6 am on Sunday as they started the demolishing process.
According to the reports, this demolition is done to further widen the road for Sharanpur Highway. DCP Northeast Joy N Tirkey told the media, "Demolition drive is underway peacefully at Bhajanpura Chowk. A decision was taken by the Religious Committee of Delhi to remove a Hanuman Temple & a Mazar to further widen the road for Saharanpur Highway. Both structures are removed peacefully"
Tirkey said there was a Hanuman temple and a Mazar on the opposite sides of the road at Bhajanpura Chowk. A few days ago, a decision was taken at the "religious committee" that both structures would have to be removed to widen the road for the Saharanpur flyover.
He also said, "This was planned a few days ago. But the local leaders here had asked the civil administration for some time to prepare and make some necessary arrangements. Today (Sunday), we spoke to all of them and after having a proper dialogue with them, both the religious structures were removed from here with everyone's cooperation. Even the devotees came here and performed their puja before the removal of the religious structure. The temple was removed by the priest himself."
Sub Divisional Magistrate of Seelampur, Sharat Kumar told the media, "The decision (to remove the mazar and temple) was approved by the Religious Committee and following the orders of Lieutenant Governor (of Delhi) this demolition drive was carried out. It was done peacefully and there was no problem."
Delhi Govt Vs LG Saxena
Meanwhile, the Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Atishi demanded that this action be stopped and asked the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena about it.
In a tweet, Atishi strongly wrote in Hindi, "Mr. LG: I had written a letter to you a few days back requesting you to take back your decision to demolish temples and other religious places in Delhi. But today again on your orders a temple has been demolished in Bhajanpura. I request you again that temples and other religious places should not be demolished in Delhi. People's faith is attached to these."
She had written to Lt Governor V K Saxena on June 22 requesting him to withdraw the decision to the demolition of religious places.
Her letter came following a row between locals and the authorities in east Delhi's Mandawali area when officials allegedly removed the grill encroaching upon the footpath near a temple on June 22. It led to rumours that the authorities were there to demolish the temple.
