Centre, AAP at loggerheads over temple demolition notice claims

On Tuesday, AAP MLA Atishi held a press conference in which she claimed that the BJP-led Central government had initiated a move to demolish four temples in Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar area, accusing the saffron party of playing “bulldozer politics” in Delhi.

Union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday slammed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Atishi for “spreading lies” and “building a fake narrative” that the Centre and its agencies are on the verge of “bulldozing temples” in the Capital -- a charge she refuted while asking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to “at least leave the temples out of this hooliganism, extortion, and bulldozer politics”.

In a series of tweets, Union housing and urban affairs minister Hardeep Singh Puri said AAP MLA Atishi was misleading people as such decisions were taken by the Delhi government’s religious committee.

In a series of tweets, Puri said Atishi was misleading people as such decisions were taken by the Delhi government’s religious committee.

Atishi, in reply, tweeted a demolition notice sent by the Land and Development Office, under the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA), to a temple in Sarojini Nagar.

“I suggest the MLA educate herself. The Religious Committee which takes decisions on such matters is under Delhi Govt. Land owning agencies only determine if govt land is being encroached upon. Even that is not final- there are systemic mechanisms in place,” Puri tweeted on Thursday.

Replying to Puri, Atishi tweeted, “Hardeep Puri ji, your ministry had given the demolition notice to Sai Dham temple in Sarojini Nagar on April 19, and Delhi High Court on May 2 stayed the demolition and referred the matter to ‘Religious Committee’. BJP had done all the preparations to run bulldozers on the temple!”

She added: “I request the BJP with folded hands to at least leave temples out of this hooliganism, extortion and bulldozer politics!”

On Tuesday, Atishi held a press conference in which she claimed that the BJP-led Central government had initiated a move to demolish four temples in Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar area, accusing the saffron party of playing “bulldozer politics” in Delhi.

On Thursday, Puri alleged that the AAP MLA was unaware of “her own government’s actions”.

“The Religious Committee under a senior official of Delhi Govt, has already met twice on 26 & 29 April. A joint inspection was carried out on 27 April under its directions. The MLA does not appear to be aware of her own Govt’s actions as she manufactures a fake narrative.”

He also asked Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to restrain her. “A lie will remain a lie no matter how many times it is repeated. So if Atishi Ji continues to falsify the narrative further, the Hon’ble Delhi CM should rein in the MLA, failing which I will address a press conference to set the record straight,” he tweeted.