Right-wing groups protest, demand reconstruction of Chandni Chowk temple

New Delhi: Hundreds of workers of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal and other right-wing organisations took out a march in Chandni Chowk on Tuesday to protest

New Delhi: Hundreds of workers of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bajrang Dal and other right-wing organisations took out a march in Chandni Chowk on Tuesday to protest the demolition of a Hanuman temple by the BJP-ruled North Delhi Municipal Corporation on the orders of the Delhi high court.

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VHP leaders said the protest will continue till the Adami Party government in Delhi allocates land for reconstruction of the temple near the existing site.

On Tuesday morning, hundreds of members of right-wing organisations, Delhi BJP and locals shouted slogans demanding reconstruction of the temple. The protest was planned on Tuesday as it is considered the day of Lord Hanuman, said a VHP member.

The temple was demolished at 4am on Sunday. It was located on the road which is being redesigned only for pedestrians as part of the Chandni Chowk redevelopment plan. The structure was declared illegal by the high court and the order for its removal was passed in 2015.

The protesters were restricted near the Sis Ganj Gurdwara and nearly 30 members of VHP and Bajrang Dal were detained by the police. All detainees were later released.

No first information report (FIR) was registered in connection with the gathering of nearly 500 protesters even though it was in violation of the Covid-19 guidelines. The protest began around 11 am and continued for over two hours, the police said. Nearly 300 security personnel were deployed to maintain law and order in the area. The police personnel also recorded video of the entire event.

Surender Gupta, state vice-president of VHP, said, “The temple could have been saved had the Delhi government planned the redevelopment project carefully. The North Delhi Municipal Corporation (which removed the temple) is just an executing agency. We want the government to allocate land on the central verge so that we can construct the temple. We don’t need any assistance from the government to construct the temple.”

The AAP has maintained that it was the North MCD which had admitted before the court that the structure was encroachment and undertaken to remove it.

VHP and Delhi BJP leaders said that they will meet Delhi lieutenant governor Anil Baijal to request him to intervene and allow the construction of the Hanuman temple.

A four-layer security cordon was put in place to stop the protesters from marching to the demolished temple site. The gathering of the members of the right-wing with saffron flags began around 10.30 am near the Red Fort-Chandni Chowk crossing. As their number swelled up and they began marching towards the temple site raising slogans, the security personnel stopped them at the first barricade placed near the Gauri Shankar temple. However, the protesters managed to break the barricade and proceeded towards the site where the temple existed.

“We used mild force to contain them at the second barricade near the Sis Ganj Gurdwara, where they continued their agitation and delivered speeches. No The crowd dispersed after 1pm. We are considering legal action in connection with Tuesday’s protest,” said a senior police officer, who did not want to be named.

Unlike Monday, the business in the heritage market was not affected as the police had made adequate arrangements. Pradeep Gupta, president of Chemical Market traders’ association, said, “Today, all shops were open and it was business as usual. The protesters were restricted towards the Red Fort side. But people want the temple to be constructed nearby, as it is a matter of faith.”