New Delhi: The Supreme Court has agreed to examine the possibility of building a new temple for Sant Ravidas in the national capital — nearly two months after the previous structure was demolished on its order for having been constructed on forest land.
On Friday, a bench of Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Ravindra Bhat asked all the parties to hold consultation with the attorney general to find an appropriate site to build the temple.
Asking all the parties — the Delhi Development Authority and two former parliamentarians Ashok Tanwar and Pradeep Jain Aditya who have sought the court’s nod to reconstruct the temple — to come up with a good solution, the court said it will pass an order if it’s agreeable to all.
With the demolition of Sant Ravidas temple in south Delhi on 10 August sparking huge protests in some states, the court also said it respects the sentiments of every people and assured that it will do the best that could be done under law.
Additional solicitor general P.S. Narasimha informed the court that the temple site can be shifted to a new location.
The next hearing of the case is slated for 18 October.
The petition
The latest move comes after Justice R. Bhanumathi and Justice A.S. Bopanna said on 17 September a plea seeking permission for reconstruction of the Ravidas temple in Tughlaqabad forest area “should be placed before the Chief Justice of India for appropriate orders”.
The demolition — pursued by the Delhi Development Authority — was ordered over the “serious breach” committed by the Guru Ravidas Jayanti Samaroh Samiti by not vacating the forest area as earlier directed by the top court.
In their plea filed on 27 August, two former MPs Ashok Tanwar and Pradeep Jain Aditya, sought the court’s nod to reconstruct the temple. They said it is a pious site and prayers were held there for the last five to six centuries.
The petitioners also said they are devout followers of Guru Ravidas and used to pray regularly at the site.
“The site at which the temple/Guru Dham and ‘Samadhi’ were present is pious and of immense faith to the believers as Saint Guru Ravidas had stayed at the site, and it was given to him by Sultan Sikander Lodhi in 1509,” the plea said.
It also sought enforcement of their right to worship which, they alleged, “is being denied to them due to demolition” of the temple and ‘Samadhi’.
The temple’s demolition had led to a series of protests in places such as Delhi, Punjab and Haryana, and the apex court had on 19 August directed authorities in these areas to ensure that no law and order situation is created politically or otherwise.
The political parties in Delhi had taken up the issue too, keeping in mind the assembly elections early next year.
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