No damage to temple in Old Delhi, says PWD Minister days after demolition drive
The demolition drive was carried out by the MCD on March 17 to clear the Yamuna riverbed of unauthorised construction
3 min read
PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh (Archive)PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh on Monday visited the Nili Chhatri Temple in Old Delhi as he stressed that protecting religious and cultural heritage is the BJP government’s priority. “There will be no damage to the temple,” the Minister asserted days after an anti-encroachment drive in the area.
The demolition drive was carried out by the MCD on March 17 to clear the Yamuna riverbed of unauthorised construction. A stretch of 1.5 km was cleared and 36 articles were seized.
To counter the drive, a huge crowd reached the site, including members of the Valmiki community, to protest the action against the Valmiki temple near the Nili Chhatri temple. Following the protest, the bulldozers were forced to turn back.
On Monday, Singh took stock of the situation and clarified that if there was any structural damage to the Nili Chhatri Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, it would be rebuilt immediately. “This morning. I got a message on WhatsApp that the temple is being demolished. I immediately reached here and inspected it myself. I want to assure all the devotees that the temple is completely safe,” he said.
He also appealed to locals to not politicise the matter. Singh said that no religious place will be allowed to be damaged, and if any mistake has been made somewhere, it will be rectified immediately. “Some people are deliberately trying to vitiate the atmosphere by spreading rumours, but the government’s intention is very clear — to protect the religious and cultural heritage.”
According to historian Rana Safvi’s blog, the Nili Chhatri Temple is believed to have been reconstructed by the eldest Pandava brother, Yudhisthira, on the Nigambodh Ghat. “Here Lord Krishna and his brother Balram with the Pandavas used to worship Lord Shiva. It is believed that the eldest Pandava brother, Prince Yudhisthira of Mahabharata, conducted Raj Suyi Yagya which is done after defeating all the kings of the nation here,” Safvi stated.
Meanwhile, a delegation of the Delhi Congress also visited the temple and alleged that the MCD and the PWD were acting at the behest of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to demolish these temples, in an attempt to create a divide among the people.
The Delhi Congress claimed that earlier, a 100-year-old Pracheen Shri Chau Mukha Mahadev Mandir and Ganesh Mandir that were near the Nili Chhatri temple were demolished without prior notice. “If any move was made to demolish the Valmiki Community’s Kuldevi Temple, Congress workers will come out on the streets to protest, and will not allow the religious sentiments of people to be hurt,” the Delhi Congress said in a statement.
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