Amid police cover, locals make beeline for demolished temple

Following the demolition on Saturday, authorities had also reconstructed a portion of the boundary wall of the forest which had earlier been torn down.

A day after south Delhi’s Guru Ravidas mandir was demolished following Supreme Court (SC) orders over allegations of encroachment, residents of the area tried to catch a glimpse of the demolished structure amid heavy security by police and paramilitary forces.

The Delhi Development Authority’s vice-chairman Tarun Kapoor said the land-owning agency had acted as per SC orders. (Ht photo)

While news of the demolition led to protests in Punjab, many locals around the area were not completely opposed to the demolition. Lakhan Singh, a resident of Tughlaqabad who visited the Jahanpanah forest for his daily walk, said many were aware that the land on which the temple existed was disputed.

Following the demolition on Saturday, authorities had also reconstructed a portion of the boundary wall of the forest which had earlier been torn down. Other passers-by, while lauding the demolition, said the construction of the wall meant taking a longer route to go in and outside the forest area.

Parvinder Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police(South), said, “The DDA had requested forces to carry out the demolition, and around three companies (approximately 250 personnel) were deployed on Saturday,” he said.

The Delhi Development Authority’s vice-chairman Tarun Kapoor said the land-owning agency had acted as per SC orders. “Ravidas Sabha handed out the possession without any problems, in observation of the SC orders. It was a small structure with a tin-shed that was removed peacefully.”

According to news reports, since Saturday, protests have erupted at several places, including Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Phagwara, Gurdaspur, Amritsar of Punjab.

The temple was dedicated to a spiritual leader from the state.