Supreme Court Refers Plea On Ravidas Temple Reconstruction To CJI

The bench said that matter is referred to Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who may mark the matter to the same bench which had ordered the demolition of the temple.

(PTI)

New Delhi: A Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice R. Banumathi, on Monday referred the petition seeking reconstruction of Guru Ravidas Temple to the Chief Justice of India for passing appropriate orders. The bench said that matter is referred to Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who may mark the matter to the same bench which had ordered the demolition of the temple. The court was hearing the petition filed by Ashok Tanwar, the Congress' former Haryana unit chief, and former Haryana Minister Pradeep Jain Aditya seeking reconstruction of Guru Ravidas temple in the Tughlaqabad forest area. Talking to reporters, Tanwar said that the court's view on Monday that its order was to remove the encroachment, not to demolish the temple, may grant some relief to followers of Sant Ravidas. Following the top court order, the temple was demolished by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on August 10. In the plea, the devotees of Guru Ravidas sought enforcement of the right to worship, which they argued had been denied to them due to the razing of the temple. Seeking restoration of the idol of the Guru removed from the site, they also claimed the land was given by Sultan Sikander Lodhi to Guru Ravidas in 1509. They said the site was pious and being worshipped for 500-600 years. It was protected as per the provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991.