BJP accuses AAP, Cong of fuelling social tension on Ravidas temple issue

The BJP on Wednesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress of politicising the issue of the demolition of a Guru Ravidas temple in the capital and said both parties tried to fuel social tension by inciting people.

BJP general secretary Bhupender Yadav attacked the two parties two days after the Supreme Court accepted the Centre's plea in favour of reconstructing the temple in the Tughlaqabad forest area.

Yadav, who was joined by BJP vice president Dushyant Kumar Gautam, told a press conference that the Modi government worked to restore the temple while the AAP and the Congress used the issue to fuel social divisions.

Guru Ravidas is a revered saint, especially among a large section of Dalits, and the demolition of his temple had triggered protests by the community members at several places, including Delhi, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP has used the issue to corner the BJP in the national capital, which will go to the assembly polls early next year, and the Congress in states like Punjab.

Armed with the court's decision to allow reconstruction of the temple, the BJP sought to present itself as the party whose government worked to assuage the hurt of the Ravidas community.

"Our government understood their feeling and took the initiative. The attorney general moved a proposal in the court for the temple's construction and it was accepted," Yadav said.

"The sad part of this entire episode is that parties like AAP and the Congress tried to fuel social tensions and incite people with their loose comments," he said.

The Supreme Court had on Monday accepted the Centre's revised offer of 400 sq mt land in the Tughlaqabad forest area here for the construction of Guru Ravidas temple which was demolished by the DDA following the court's earlier order.