Temples were either demolished or removed in Rajasthan even during BJP rule: Report

In Rajasthan’s Alwar district, the Congress government of the state is on the target of the BJP for the partial demolition of two temples as part of the anti-encroachment campaign. However, even during the tenure of the BJP-led Vasundhara Raje government, religious structures were either demolished or removed elsewhere.

Between 2012 and 2015, when the BJP government headed by Vasundhara Raje was in Rajasthan, 93 religious structures, including temples and shrines, were removed or shifted in early 2013 in Jaipur alone.

However, there were different reasons for this, some structures were removed or shifted due to illegal construction or encroachment on government land, while some structures were obstructing the work and transport of the metro.

Raje and the RSS clashed after the temples were demolished, while most of the temples were demolished as part of the district administration’s campaign for being illegal structures as ordered by the Supreme Court. In Jaipur, six temples were demolished or relocated to prepare the metro network.

According to the report, these six temples include Rameshwar Mahadev Temple, Kanwal Saheb Hanuman Temple, Barah Linga Mahadev, Shri Bad Ke Balaji Temple, Rozgareshwar Mahadev Temple and Kashtran Mahadev Temple.

Two of these temples (Rojgareshwar Mahadev Temple and Kashtaran Mahadev) are more than two centuries old and were shifted from Choti Chaupar to the old Atish Bazar.

In July 2015, the RSS called the Raje government’s attitude worse than that of the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb and summoned nine BJP MLAs to its headquarters at Bharti Bhavan in Jaipur and asked them the reason for their inaction on the demolition.

The RSS and its affiliated organizations also staged a two-hour vigil in support of the Mandir Bachao Sangharsh Samiti. Vivek Gupta of the Sangh had argued, ‘Temples are broken, there is resentment in the society and the Sangh is also made of society.’

At the same time, those who were close to Vasundhara Raje opposed it, saying that the RAS is using this issue only to target the Chief Minister.

A BJP leader at that time told The Indian Express, “People really did not protest against the demolition of these temples. Had he done so, the administration would not have been able to accomplish this so easily. The Sangh has got an opportunity to target Raje.

In this matter, the Congress did not protest much, giving the BJP an opportunity to fight its internal battle. However, as the 2018 assembly elections approached, the party started cashing in on the matter again.

The then Rajasthan Congress President Sachin Pilot said in August 2018 that over 300 temples were demolished in Jaipur for the construction of the Metro Corridor. Pilot had also said that many idols were damaged and many were stolen in the process of shifting the temples.

Rhetoric continues between Congress and BJP leaders regarding temple demolition in Rajgarh
However, the rhetoric between the Congress and BJP leaders of the state continued on Saturday over the alleged demolition of an ancient temple as part of a drive to remove encroachment in the Rajgarh Municipality area of ​​Alwar district in the state.

The ruling Congress accused the BJP of trying to disturb the atmosphere in the state over the issue. At the same time, BJP said that Congress is doing politics of appeasement in the state.

BJP’s national spokesperson and MP Rajyavardhan Rathod targeted the state government over this issue and alleged that it is doing politics of appeasement for a particular community. “Politics of appeasement is happening… The difference is very clear, they only have to send a message to their vote bank,” he said.

Talking to reporters in Jaipur, Rathod said that the act of demolition of the temple in Rajgarh is malicious and has been done “in the spirit of revenge”. People are understanding this intention of Congress.

Referring to the increasing incidents of alleged atrocities against women and Dalits in the state, the BJP MP alleged, “Attack on Ram Bhakts on Ram Navami – Roza Iftar on Ramzan, this is Congress’s mentality… made Rajasthan into Taliban.” At the same time, Food and Civil Supplies Minister of Rajasthan Government Pratap Singh Khachariawas said that BJP should apologize to the whole country.

Khachariyawas said, ‘They (BJP) have broken the temple in Rajgarh and they also lied by breaking the temple. Everyone has documentary evidence that their own board had proposed this effect in the municipality. Let us tell you that Rajgarh is a BJP-run municipality in Congress-ruled Rajasthan.

According to the report, Alwar District Collector Nakate Shivprasad Madan had said on April 22 that the proposal for anti-encroachment drive was unanimously passed by the Municipal Board last year in a meeting headed by its chairman Satish Duharia. Duhariya is a BJP leader.

Khachariyawas alleged that BJP is conspiring to cause riots in the entire state and wants to win the lost battle in Rajasthan by misusing social media.

He alleged, ‘I will tell the people of BJP that they hastened to spoil the atmosphere, because there is still one and a half year in the assembly elections. If the BJP had done this work six months before the elections, then their conspiracy might have been successful. Now the Congress will answer the BJP on every front, from crossroads to farm-barn and village-gully.

BJP’s Rajya Sabha member Kirori Lal Meena tweeted on Saturday, ‘Former MPs Bhanwar Jitendra Singh and Tikaram Julie have assured the reconstruction of temples in Rajgarh, but my other demands are compensation for demolished houses, punishable on the officials involved in this misdeed. There is no consensus yet on the action and judicial investigation of the case.

Meanwhile, BJP’s fact-checking committee reached Rajgarh on Saturday and interacted with the local people. Committee member MP Sumedhanand told reporters in Rajgarh that the 300-year-old temple has been demolished and the Congress government should make public demands for it. He said that the idols should be installed respectfully after rebuilding the temple.
Former MP Bhanwar Jitendra Singh and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Tikaram Julie also reached Rajgarh on behalf of Congress.

Alwar District Collector Shivprasad Madan had said that notices were issued on April 6 to those whose structures were part of the encroachment. After this, after following the due process, anti-encroachment drive was launched on 17 and 18 April. He had said, “No legal framework was broken during the campaign. Then there was no protest nor was there any law and order situation.

According to the district administration, there were two temples on the way. The District Collector had said, ‘There was a new structure. Its owners themselves removed the idols before the campaign. For the second temple, only some area was removed, while its sanctum remains intact.