Centre rubbishes AAP allegation of ‘bulldozing temples’

The Central government rubbished the Aam Aadmi Party’s allegation of “bulldozing temples”, saying that the demolition is being done as per the procedure. In a series of tweets, Union Minister for Urban Development Hardeep Singh Puri asked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to “rein in” Atishi for her comments.

“Lies succeed in travelling halfway round the world before the truth is able to get up & tie its shoelaces. Recently AAP leader Atishi Ji absurdly suggested that Centre & its agencies were on the verge of bulldozing temples!” tweeted Puri.

“A lie will remain a lie no matter how many times it is repeated. So if Atishi Ji continues to falsify the narrative further, the Hon’ble Delhi CM should rein in the MLA, failing which I will address a press conference to set the record straight”, added Puri in another Tweet.

Puri further attacked Atishi and said that she is “ill-informed” of her own AAP government’s actions as she is manufacturing “fake narrative”.

“The Religious Committee under a senior official of Delhi Government has already met twice on 26 & 29 April. A joint inspection was carried out on 27 April under its directions. The MLA does not appear to be aware of her own government’s actions as she manufactures a fake narrative,” added Puri.

“AAP leaders must know that urban rejuvenation is a serious subject. Efforts to make Delhi a world-class capital will need saner views, not such ill-informed fake narratives & ‘rajneeti’. They should get their facts right to avoid such embarrassment,” Puri tweeted on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Atishi alleged that the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has sent “demolition notices” to four temples in Delhi’s Sarojini Nagar area, warning that the people of Delhi would not “tolerate” such hooliganism of the BJP.

Atishi had also alleged that the BJP-led Central government has served notices for the demolition of four temples without following the “due process” for the execution of such an action.

Seven GPRA colonies at Srinivaspuri, Thyagraj Nagar, Kasturba Nagar, Mohammadpur, Nauroji Nagar, Netaji Nagar and Sarojini Nagar are being developed by CPWD and NBCC respectively under MoHUA.

As per the Supreme Court ruling in 2009, no unauthorised construction of any religious institution, namely Temple, Church, Mosque or Gurudwara etc shall be permitted on public streets or public space.

The Delhi High Court, in 2015, in a case directed to demolish entire construction where idols are not installed or placed and GNCTD to explain as to why the Religious committee has not promptly dealt with the menace of unauthorised construction and encroachments in the name of religious structures.