The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will hold a nationwide agitation if the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) fails to provide land for constructing the temple, said party Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh.

The party has urged the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and Vice-Chairman of Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to provide land in this regard. Accusing the BJP of being anti-Dalit, the AAP leaders slammed it for the demolition of the temple in connivance of Delhi Development Authority (DDA).

“BJP had played a role in demolition of temple but AAP is determined to re-build the temple. BJP though is chanting slogans to construct a Ram Mandir in Ayodhya however, when it comes to re-construct Sant Ravidas temple they start making excuses. Even in Supreme Court on Monday, the centre ruled BJP did not clarify its stand on re-construction of Sant Ravidas Temple in Delhi’s Tughlaqabad area,” Singh said.

“Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam had earlier written a letter to the Prime Minister to direct the DDA to allot land for the construction of the temple.

The Chief Minister also wrote a letter to Union Urban Ministry Hardeep Puri on 11 September and till date there is no response on the letter, he said, adding that I am again writing a letter on behalf of the three members of Rajya Sabha and I will also ask minister for an appointment with him.

Delhi’s Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam alleged that the BJP does not want to rebuild the Ravidas temple.

 “There should be no politics on this. Nearly 96 people who protested against the demolition of the temple are still in jail. They have not been granted bail. Police should investigate based on records and punish the people who have done wrong,” Gautam said.

There was no immediate reaction from the BJP Union Minister Puri had earlier said the Centre is determined to find a solution and possibly identify an alternative site to “relocate” the temple.

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) had, on August 10, demolished the centuries-old Guru Ravidas temple in Delhi’s Tughlaqabad under a Supreme Court order.  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.

The demolition of the temple in a forest area in Tughlakabad here led to a huge controversy, with the AAP seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention in ensuring that the land be given back to the Ravidas community to rebuild the place of worship.