A large number of local and Punjab senior leadership, supporters, workers of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged a ‘dharna’ against the Modi-led union government against the demolition of the 540-year-old Sri Guru Ravidas temple at Tuglaqabad in Delhi by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which is under its direct control, and demanded restoration of the monument to its old glory.Those who were a part of the ‘dharna’ included cabinet minister of the Kejriwal-led Delhi government, senior leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Punjab Assembly, Harpal Singh Cheema, deputy speaker of Delhi Assembly, Rakhi Birla, Ajay Dutt, Manoj Kumar (both MLAs), Punjab MLAs Jai Krishan Rori, Manjit Singh Bilaspur, Kulwant Singh Pandori and youth leader Sandeep Singla.Interacting with media persons, Harpal Singh Cheema said the union BJP government was solely responsible for the demolition of the historic temple stating that the DDA was under its direct control which, he said, brought forth the anti-dalit face of the government. Cheema added that some BJP and Akali Dal (Badal) leaders were also holding pseudo ‘dharnas’ saying they were doing so for grabbing eyeballs and win sympathy of the people while they themselves were behind the sacrilegious act of demolition.
Taking a swipe at union ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Som Parkash, Cheema questioned them if posts and portfolios were more dear to them than safeguarding the monument dedicated to Sri Guru Ravidas who was a Guru only for the community but also for all other communities who spread the eternal message of mutual harmony and love, asserting were the Modi government concerned about a large number followers across the world, it would have come out with a viable solution arising out of the apex court’s order.Dubbing the Modi government as anti-Dalit, Rajinder Pal Gautam demanded restoration of the temple at the same place, saying that had the then Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress Government at the centre not facilitated the acquisition of 13 bighas of temple land by the DDA in 1986, the teeming millions of Guru’s followers and other won’t have to see this sacrilegious act with their naked eyes.Expressing solidarity with the Dalit samaj, Ravidas ‘Panth’ and managing committee of the temple, AAP leader said their party was standing rock solid behind them pressing their demand for the restoration of the temple to its pristine glory. Cheema on the occasion said that he had already to the prime minister requested him to intervene and order reconstruction of the temple.