Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh will lead a delegation of the Ravidas community to meet the Prime Minister for the resolution of the crisis triggered by the demolition of their historic temple in Delhi’s Tughlakabad area.The Chief Minister, who met Sants and leaders of the community here on Wednesday, acceded to their request to lead them for a personal meeting with the Prime Minister to seek the latter’s intervention in the matter, according to an official spokesperson. Captain Amarinder also appealed to the community to maintain calm and peace, and ensure that the common people are not hindered in any way by their protests over the issue.
Captain Amarinder promised to seek time for a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while reiterating that his government would extend all legal and financial help to the community in pursuing the case for review of the Supreme Court’s demolition order and rebuilding the temple. The Chief Minister pointed out that he had already sought the Prime Minister’s intervention and had also spoken to Union Minister for Urban Development, Hardeep Singh Puri, on the issue, which has caused extreme anguish to the community.
Besides helping in filing of the review petition for review in the apex court, his government will also contribute towards the cost of the land if the Centre agrees to return the temple site to the community, the Chief Minister assured the Sants.During the meeting, the Chief Minister also promised to look into the demand of the leaders for withdrawal of the five cases that are still going on against members of the community for the violence that hit Jalandhar in 2009 during protests against the firing at the head of Dera Sachkhand Ballan and his close associate in Vienna.At the meeting, the community was represented by around 25 Sants, including Shri Guru Ravidas Sadhu Sampardai Society President Sant Kulwant Ram, Vice President Sant Gurdip Giri, Chairman: Sant Mohinder Pal, Gen Secretary Sant Nirmal Singh, as well as Dera Sachkhand Ballan Sant Lekhraj ji.Captain Amarinder Singh was accompanied by Cabinet Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Jalandhar MP Santokh Ch, Sushil Rinku and Raj Kumar Chabbewal, who are among the five members of the committee formed by the Chief Minister to resolve the issue in coordination with the Ravidas community leaders.