Bajrang Dal outwits SMC

SURAT, Jan 24: For the past 75 years or even more, people living near the Balaji temple on the walled city road named after the deity wok...

SURAT, Jan 24: For the past 75 years or even more, people living near the Balaji temple on the walled city road named after the deity woke up to see municipal waste bins in a plot just next to the temple. This morning, they got to see a Hanuman mandir, complete with the idol.

The Bajrang Dal constructed the five-foot-high temple between midnight and sunrise, and has now pledged to safeguard it. The act was timed to perfection, as the Surat Municipal Corporation had temporarily removed the vats ahead of special pujas at the Ranchhodji Mandir, one of the three long-established temples in the street. The road itself had been closed to traffic for the past few days.

Interestingly enough, practically all local residents, while expressing shock, said they were happy with the development. They said the temple mahants, local residents and the authorities of the Balaji Girls8217; School 8212; located just next to the temples 8212; had been demanding the removal of the bins for years.

News spread fast and hundreds of people from surrounding areas arrived to see the temple on Sunday morning. By afternoon, the structure had been consecrated and hundreds of devotees were learnt to have offered prayers there by the evening.

Jayesh Kabrawala, joint secretary of the city unit of the Bajrang Dal, told Express Newsline at the spot, 8220;The people wanted this to happen, so did the mahants. Even the school had protested against the location of the waste bins. They received operation waste from the Surat General Hospital, which caused the entire area to stink.

8220;So we constructed the temple. Now we intend to protect it against any attempts to remove it8221;.

When it was pointed out that what they had done was illegal, Kabrawala replied, 8220;Yes, I know that, but now that the temple has been erected, it cannot be removed8221;. SMC8217;s director of planning R D Desai, when contacted, said that this was the first he was hearing of the incident and promised to check it up tomorrow.