Thousands of Dalits turn up over shrine demolition

A protest by Dalits against the demolition of the Ravidas temple on Wednesday turned violent in South Delhi’s Tughlakabad, prompting police to resort to “mild lathicharge” and use tear gas to disperse the crowd, an official said. According to police, the protesters set two motorcycles on fire, vandalised a police vehicle and pelted stones, causing injuries to a few policemen.

Over 50 protesters, including Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, were detained at Kalkaji Police Station for grilling. He might be booked for rioting and unlawful activities, said police.

Protesting against the demolition of the temple by the Delhi Development Authority on August 10 on the orders of the Supreme Court, thousands of Dalits from various parts of the country wearing blue caps, carrying flags and chanting “Jai Bhim” slogan, marched from Ambedkar Bhawan in Jhandewalan to the Ramlila Maidan on Wednesday.

Fifty-three-year-old protester Vinod, who came from Faridabad, said, “Why only a temple of Sant Ravidas was razed? There should be a fixed policy of the Government and that should be implemented on all the structures whether it is temple, mosque or any other illegal building.”

“The Centre should immediate allot land to construct the temple. We came here to show solidarity with people of Dalit community. We have been facing discrimination for long and this need to stop now,” said Mahipal, who arrived in the city from Haryana.  

Senior AAP leaders, including Delhi’s Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, Leader of Opposition in Punjab Harpal Singh Cheema, Delhi Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla, party MLAs Ajay Dutt, Manoj Kumar, MLAs from Punjab Jai Krishna Singh Rody, Manjit Singh Bilaspur, Kulwant Singh Pandori, Azad and spiritual leaders from the community participated in the protest.

Meena Devi, who came from Punjab in a group of hundred of women, said she did not expect it from the agency of the Central Government.  “We want the Government to take the issue on priority and rebuild the temple either the same place or at any other place in the city,” she added.

The DDA demolished the temple at the behest of the Central Government, said Social Welfare Minister Gautam.

“The temple symbolised the faith of crores of people but despite my letter to the Prime Minister on August 12 and two days of protests at the BJP headquarters, the central Government has not taken any proactive measure to solve the issue,” he said.

Gautam said their fight is against the injustice meted out to the community and not against the Supreme Court order. “I am as a representative of the community and not as a Delhi Minister or politician. We respect the Supreme Court order, but the government should answer why only temples of the Dalit community and statues of  B R Ambedkar are being demolished across the country?” he asked. The party demanded restoration of the temple as soon as possible, he added.

He also said that BJP in power for a long time and has been spending time in temple-mosque politics. “It seems that the BJP does not in temples of Dalits as during its tenure, temples of Maharishi Valmiki, Ravidas Ji and idols of Dalits are being demolished at different places in the country. Idols of Buddha, Ambedkar are being broken,” he said.

However, the DDA in a statement issued earlier said the “structure was removed as per the orders of the Supreme Court”. “The standing semi-permanent structure was dismantled peacefully without any resistance or use of force in the presence of Guru Ravi Das Jayanti Samaroh Samiti members,” the DDA had said in the statement.

The DDA had  said the Apex court in a case titled ‘Guru Ravi Das Jayanti Samaroh Samiti vs Union of India’, had on August 9 observed that “serious breach” has been committed by the Samiti by not vacating the forest area as earlier ordered by the court.