On 20th March, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) cancelled the proposed demolition of three temples near Sanjay Lake in Trilokpuri, which was scheduled for the same day. The decision was conveyed via an internal report by the Deputy Director of Horticulture (DDA). The notice cited strong public opposition and the intervention of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ravi Negi as key factors behind the decision.
Demolition of three temples of Mayur Vihar phase ii cancelled by dda pic.twitter.com/CDUWbt793y
— Vishnu Shankar Jain (@Vishnu_Jain1) March 20, 2025
The demolition was originally proposed during the discussion of a Religious Committee meeting that was held on 25th October 2024, chaired by the Principal Secretary (Home), Delhi Secretariat. The committee had recommended removing “unauthorised” religious structures through the due process of law.
However, following the increasing public agitation and backlash, the demolition was halted with immediate effect. The notice further mentioned that any further action will only be taken after due consideration of relevant policies and guidelines, and under the approval of a competent authority.
The notice also cited a ruling of the Delhi High Court which referred to a Supreme Court direction stating that no religious structure, including those under question, can be demolished without prior approval from the Religious Committee headed by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.
Supreme Court refused to entertain plea against demolition, asked to approach HC
Earlier on the same day, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain a petition filed by Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain against the demolition. Advocate Jain was representing temple committees from Mayur Vihar Phase 2 – namely, Purbi Delhi Kali Bari Samiti, Sri Amarnath Mandir Sanstha, and Sri Badri Nath Mandir.
The plea challenged the DDA demolition notice that was issued on 19th March, giving only a few hours to the committee members before razing the structures. Advocate Jain argued that the temples, over 35 years old, were not given a proper hearing and highlighted that the Kali Bari temple had even received DDA’s permission in the past to host public festivities. The Supreme Court, however, directed the petitioner to approach the Delhi High Court instead.
BJP MLA Negi also accused the DDA of arriving at the site without proper prior notice. He said, “At 3 AM, the police and DDA arrived for demolition, claiming no notice is required for green belt areas.” The demolition was eventually stopped following the intervention of Delhi CM Rekha Gupta.
