Ravidas temple: DDA urged to start land denotification process

Tughlakabad temple was demolished by DDA on August 10 following an SC order

A protest by Dalit activists over the temple demolition had turned violent in the Capital.

Delhi Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Thursday urged the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to request the Forest Department to denotify the land of a demolished Ravidas temple, in Tughlakabad, from the forest category.

The Minister said that the DDA is the landowning agency and it has to initiate the process.

The temple in Tughlakabad was demolished by the DDA on August 10 following a Supreme Court order. The DDA is headed by Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal, who is appointed by the Central government.

The Aam Aadmi Party has been demanding to rebuilt the temple at the same spot and a resolution was passed in the Delhi Assembly on the same, earlier this month.

Blame game

Leader of the Opposition Vijender Gupta had said in the Delhi Assembly that the Forest Department of the Delhi government has to send a proposal to the Central government to denotify the land. This was objected to by Delhi Environment Minister Kailash Gahlot, who said that the DDA has to initiate the process.

In a letter to DDA Vice-Chairman Tarun Kapoor on Thursday, Mr. Gautam said, “An early resolution of the matter is required which would be possible only if the owner of the land, i.e., the DDA, requests the Forest Department for denotifying the land from the forest category.”

“Accordingly, you are requested to immediately review the matter and send an appropriate request to the Forest Department of the Delhi government for denotifying the land so that the Delhi government can send a proposal to the Central government for approval and allotment of land for construction of Sant Ravidas temple,” the Minister said in the letter.