‘Illegally’ built temple razed down in Navsari amid local resistance

Sources said more than 150 police officials led by Navsari district Superintendent of Police Rushikesh Upadhyay, alongwith Navsari Nagar Palika officials, including Navsari Urban Development Authority (NUDA) incharge officer Ketan Joshi, reached the Sarvoday society with JCB machines and dumpers to demolish the temple Monday evening. Soon, tensions arose after a crowd of over 200 people, including men, women and youths, entered the temple premises to prevent the demolition.

The police cordoned off the area after which the Radha Krishna temple—built a few months ago on a 10-square-metre area of private land—was demolished.

“The NUDA authorities had contacted us and asked for police protection to carry out the demolition activity of the temple constructed illegally on the open plot. The temple was demolished under police protection. The local residents were angry and at one time, it became difficult for us to control both the men and women,” Navsari District Superintendent of Police, Rushikesh Upadhyay, told the Indian Express.

A majority of the residents of the Sarvoday residential society—with over 150 bungalows—belong to the Desai (Anavil Brahmin) community.

The demolition decision came after a group of real-estate developers purchased the open land located behind the temple and the residential society. The builders had entered into an agreement with the society residents to allow them to use the open plot for access to their land. While submitting its plan for NUDA’s approval, the builders had shown the entry and exit from the same open plot of the society and had also submitted documents signed by authorities of the Sarvoday society.

However, a local resident of the society, on the condition of anonymity, said a majority of the residents were against the proposal to allow the open plot for use by builders for the upcoming project. Following this, the residents had built the temple a couple of months ago and installed the idols of Radha Krishna.

Meanwhile, the NUDA authorities ordered the residents to demolish the temple voluntarily. The residents failed to do so after which the authorities decided to raze the structure.