300-YEAR-OLD SHIVA TEMPLE BULLDOZED IN RAJASTHAN’S ALWAR, BJP CRIES FOUL

A 300-year-old Shiva temple was demolished using bulldozers in Sarai Mohalla, Alwar district.

“A complaint has been registered at Rajgarh Police Station in connection with the matter. I am sorry to say, it has become a fashion; issues are made in the name of temples now. We respect temples, we are more religious than people from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)… We don’t use religion for vote bank,” said Rajasthan Minister Mahesh Joshi.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has constituted a five-member committee to probe the demolition of 300-year-old Shiva temple in Rajasthan. The temple was demolished in Sarai Mohalla in the Alwar district of Rajasthan.

The BJP committee, formed under the chairmanship of Sikar MP Swami Sumedhanand, will visit Rajgarh in three days, prepare a factual report, and hand it over to the Rajasthan BJP chief Satish Poonia.

“I have constituted a 5-member committee for the factual investigation of the Rajgarh (Alwar) temple case. This committee will go to the spot, prepare a factual report and submit the report to me,” said BJP Rajasthan president Dr Satish Poonia.

Sharing a video of the incident on Twitter, BJP leader Amit Malviya launched a blistering attack on Congress. He said, “Shedding tears on Karauli and Jahangirpuri and hurting the faith of Hindus — this is the secularism of Congress.”

In another tweet, Amit Malviya alleged, “On 18 April, without issuing any notice, the administration ran bulldozers over the pucca houses and shops of 85 Hindus in Rajgarh town of Rajasthan.”

BJP leader Shehzad Poonawala accused the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of keeping silence on the demolition of temple in Rajasthan. District Magistrate Shivprasad Nakate on Friday said that a “consensus” decision was taken during the municipality meeting to remove the illegal encroachments present on the roadside.

He further claimed that before the encroachment drive, the temple priests shifted the idols to another place. “A consensus decision was taken during the municipality meeting to remove the illegal encroachments present on the roadside. Before the encroachment drive, the temple priests shifted the idols to another place,” Nakate told ANI.