Cong hits out at Modi govt over Ravidas temple demolition

The Congress on Tuesday accused the Modi government of being "anti-Dalit" and demanded that the Guru Ravidas temple in Delhi's Tughlaqabad area be rebuilt.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said central agencies had demolished the ancient temple and termed it a "heinous crime".

Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma demanded that the temple be rebuilt and action be taken against those responsible for the demolition of the temple. He described the incident as "unfortunate".

Surjewala said the government could have found a way out if it wanted and could have filed a review petition in court.

"But, it seems that insulting the Ravidas society and Dalit society, and degrading them has become the norm for the BJP. This entire process is shameful and embarrassing," Surjewala said.

"The ancient Ravidas temple, demolished by the government, should be rebuilt and orders taken from court be taken," he said in a statement.

A senior police officer had said on Monday the demolition was carried out by the authorities concerned on Saturday, with the presence of the police.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had said that did not use the word temple, and said the "structure was removed as per the orders of the Supreme Court".

"The standing permanent structure was dismantled peacefully without any resistance or use of force in the presence of Guru Ravi Das Jayanti Samaroh Samiti members," the DDA had said.

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