New Delhi (Agency): In an endeavor to accommodate a road widening project in Delhi’s Bhajanpura Chowk area, two religious structures, a temple and a Mazar, were disassembled early Sunday morning. The demolition aims to facilitate the expansion of the Saharanpur Highway, as stated by officials.
A team from the Public Works Department (PWD) arrived on the scene around 06:00 am, accompanied by security forces, to initiate the removal operation. “A decision was taken by the Religious Committee of Delhi to remove a Hanuman Temple and a Mazar to further widen the road for Saharanpur Highway. Both structures are removed peacefully,” DCP Northeast Joy N Tirkey said. Substantial police presence was arranged to forestall any potential disorder.
The demolition action, however, faced resistance. Atishi, the Public Works Department (PWD) Minister, denounced the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, demanding a cessation to the action. “LG Sahab: A few days ago, I write a letter to you requesting to withdraw the decision to demolish the temples and other religious structures in Delhi. But today, again a temple was demolished in the Bhajanpura area on your order,” Atishi expressed in a tweet. She further pleaded with the Delhi LG to abstain from demolishing the religious structures, noting their symbolic importance and connection with the people’s faith.
This demolition follows another recent instance, when the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) disassembled illegal construction outside the Shani temple in the Mandawali area last week.
The contentious move to disassemble religious structures for the sake of infrastructure development has sparked criticism and reveals the perpetual struggle between progress and preservation of religious heritage. The forthcoming actions from both the PWD and the Lieutenant Governor’s office in response to these incidents will be eagerly watched.