New Delhi: Delhi’s PWD Minister Atishi on Thursday urged Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena to withdraw the orders to demolish 14 religious structures in the national capital. "People's faith is attached to temples and other religious structures. That is why I urge you to withdraw this decision of demolishing 11 temples and three mazars so that the religious feelings of people are not hurt," the Public Works Department Minister wrote in her letter to the LG.
Atishi said that she was informed by the officials of her department that earlier in the year, a file to demolish these 14 religious structures had come to the then Home Minister Manish Sisodia. Sisodia had opposed the move saying that the maps of the projects should be altered. However, when the file came to the Lieutenant Governor, he reportedly rejected the proposal and ordered the demolition of the structures, she wrote in the letter.
"Officials also informed that you wrote on the file that the demolition of temples is a law and order matter and that is why you have the power to decide on the matter. Also, in future the files to demolish temples should not be sent to the elected government but should be sent to you through the chief secretary," read Atishi's letter.
The orders come in the wake of a row over the removal of a grille near a temple. Earlier in the day, a row erupted out between locals and the authorities in east Delhi's Mandawali area when the latter allegedly removed a grille encroaching upon the footpath near a temple, spreading rumours across that they were there to demolish the temple.