Ravidas Temple: Delhi Minister urges DDA VC to begin land denotification process

Delhi Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Thursday urged the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) vice-chairman to immediately review the matter of demolition of Guru Ravidas Temple and start a process of denotification of the land from the forest category.

"You are requested to immediately review the matter and send an appropriate request to the Forest Department of Delhi government for denotifying the land so that Delhi government can send a proposal to the Central government for approval and allotment of land for construction of Sant Ravidas Temple," Gautam said in a letter to DDA VC.

He urged DDA to send a request to forest department on 'top priority' because each day of "delay will aggravate the hurt caused to crores of persons belonging to marginalised communities of the country, who hold Sant Ravidas as venerable, derive their meaning of life from his teachings and pay daily homage to the great saint".

Emphasising on the demolition of the temple, Gautam reiterated that the feelings of the community have been deeply hurt by the action of DDA.

"An early resolution of the matter is required which would be possible only if the owner of the land, DDA, requests the Forest Department for denotifying the land from the forest category," he added.

The DDA had on August 10 demolished the temple in Tughlaqabad village, complying with an order of the Supreme Court.