AAP to stage protest outside BJP headquarters on Sunday over temple demolition issue

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday said it will stage a protest outside the BJP headquarters here on Sunday against the demolition of a temple in the Tughlakabad area of south Delhi.

Delhi Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam had on Monday alleged that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had demolished the Guru Ravidas temple in the presence of police last Saturday and the statue was "taken away".

The DDA, however, did not use the word temple and said the "structure was removed as per the orders of the Supreme Court".

The demolition of the temple in a forest area in Tughlakabad led to a huge controversy, with the AAP seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention in ensuring that the land be given back to the Ravidas community to rebuild the place of worship.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led party held a meeting of its SC-ST wing on Friday, where it was decided that the party members, led by Kalyan Puri MLA Kuldeep Kumar, would protest outside the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters here on Sunday, the AAP said in a statement.

Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri had on Tuesday said the Centre was determined find a solution to the issue and had not ruled out the possibility of identifying an alternative site for rebuilding the temple.