In a major development, the demolition of an over 100-year-old temple in Pakistan's Punjab to expand a local madrassa has sparked reactions from various leaders and officials.
The Hindu temple, which was over a century old, was reportedly demolished on August 21 to include its land in a madrassa, reported news agency PTI, citing officials.
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What happened?
The temple was located in the Siraj village of Narowal, which lies around 130 kilometres from Lahore.
It was around 100 to 125 years old and occupied approximately 1,000 sq metres of land.
The report said that a political party, local residents, and minority bodies stated that a group of religious zealots demolished the temple.
According to them, it was demolished to include its land in an adjacent seminary. The people who demolished the temple reportedly belonged to the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).
The government, on the other hand, has claimed that the temple collapsed due to torrential rains.
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Reactions to ‘demolition’ of Hindu temple
{{/usCountry}}Also Read | What to know about 125-year-old Gurdwara Singh Sabha demolished in Pakistan
Reactions to ‘demolition’ of Hindu temple
{{/usCountry}}Aslam Parvez Sahotra, Pakistan Masiha Millat Party (PMMP) chairman, told PTI that following the demolition, he met the additional home secretary of Punjab on Friday (August 28) and submitted a written application seeking action on the matter. Furthermore, he alleged that the temple shikhar's metal fittings and bricks were removed from the site.
The party has urged the government to take action against the individuals who were involved in the demolition.
Furthermore, it has also urged the authorities to reconstruct the temple.
Sahotra has also sought action against the officials accused of failing to protect the structure.
He claimed that the land adjoining the temple had previously been leased by the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) for a madrassa.
He added that the lease was later cancelled after the rent allegedly remained unpaid for years. According to Sahotra, following this, several people occupied it illegally.
Hindu community leader reacts
Rattan Lal, a Hindu community leader, condemned the demolition of the temple and urged the government to restore the structure.
"The district administration and the ETPB failed to take adequate measures to protect the site or remove the alleged occupants, ultimately allowing the temple to be demolished," Lal said.
The Hindu community leader continued, "We are even afraid to visit the site because of the madrassa that continues to operate on its premises."
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Officials deny 'demolition'
According to PTI, Rana Iftikhar, an ETPB senior official, said that the temple collapsed because of torrential rains.
"The temple carries no name in our record books. However, it is a very old one... more than 100 to 125 years old," he said.
Iftikhar said the land adjacent to the temple was given on lease for a seminary.
"However, the temple's land is not given to anyone for lease," he said.
He also noted that the ETPB seniors will decide on the temple's restoration.
(with inputs from PTI)