Alwar: BJP, Cong trade barbs over razing of temples

Rajgarh is a BJP-run municipality in the Congress-ruled Rajasthan. While Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia accused the Congress of being behind the demolition, state Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasra claimed that it was the decision of the city’s municipality headed by the BJP.

Alwar district collector Nakate Shivprasad Madan said the proposal for the anti-encroachment drive was unanimously passed by the Nagar Palika board in a sadharan sabha led by its chairman Satish Duharia last year; Duharia is a BJP leader.

He said the notices were issued to persons, whose structures were part of the encroachment, on April 6. Subsequently, after following due process, the anti-encroachment drive took place on April 17 and 18, as per Madan.

“No legal structure was demolished in the drive. There were no protests, and no law and order situation then,” he said.

As per the district administration, there were two temples in the way. “One was a new structure. Before the drive, its owners had removed the idols themselves. For the second temple, only some area was removed while the sanctum sanctorum is intact,” the District Collector said.