In Rajgarh, district Alwar in Rajasthan, the authorities have demolished an old Hindu temple, inviting criticism and condemnation from locals.
Antonio Maino Govt in Rajasthan has demolished 300 Year old Hindu Mandir to take revenge of #Jahagirpuri encroachment demolition drive! pic.twitter.com/xYdNIK128d
— Mihir Jha (@MihirkJha) April 22, 2022
As per reports, a JCB was brought in to destroy the temple’s roof and pillars. Idols of the temple have been damaged in the demolition drive. A report in India TV stated that the Shivalingam inside the temple was also uprooted by using drills.
As per the report, a video by local MLA Jauhari Lal Meena has gone viral on social media where he is heard saying a Congress municipality could have prevented the demolition drive. He reportedly stated that if the 34 councillors were brought near him, he could have stopped the demolition drive.
On the other hand, the BJP in the state is blaming the Gehlot government for the demolition of the temple that was reportedly 300-year-old.
In a tweet, the BJP has stated that the temple demolition in Alwar’s Rajgarh was the Gehlot government’s ‘revenge’ for the demolition drive in Delhi’s Jahangirpuri.
जिस वक्त जहांगीरपुरी में दंगाइयों के अतिक्रमण पर बुलडोजर चल था उसी वक़्त जहांगीरपुरी का बदला लेने राजस्थान में कांग्रेस सरकार ने अलवर में 300 साल पुराना शिवालय बुलडोजर से ढहा दिया।
— BJP Rajasthan (@BJP4Rajasthan) April 22, 2022
दंगाइयों के अतिक्रमण ढहाने पर रोने वाले गहलोत ने एक क्षण नहीं लगाया औरंगजेब बन शिवालय ढहाने में। pic.twitter.com/U1x42GnOdD
Notably, the Rajgarh authorities had demolished the houses of over 85 Hindu families in a ‘road-widening’ drive citing a city masterplan. A report in Dainik Bhaskar had mentioned that the said road, the ‘station road’ in Rajgarh has a ‘masterplan-approved’ width of 60 feet only for a stretch of 120 metres or so, from Nandlal Shah garden to Saini dharmshala. The rest of the road is narrower than 50 feet.
Reports mentioned that many shops, that had been allotted by the government itself decades ago, had been demolished without giving notice to the tenants. The local authorities and local MLA have all refused to comment on the issue. Earlier this week, CM Gehlot had announced that the government cannot demolish houses and shops without notice.
Locals whose houses and shops have been demolished have stated that they had the valid documents of their properties. Despite this, the municipality has demolished their buildings. In a drive that started on 17 April, over 150 houses and shops, including old temples have been demolished so far, a Patrika report stated.
