Day after Shiva temple, a Gaushala also demolished in Rajasthan's Alwar

|HT|

Amid controversy over anti-encroachment drives conducted in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, a 'gaushala' (cow shelter) was demolished in Rajasthan's Alwar district on Saturday. This comes just a day after the district administration razed a 300-year-old Shiva temple in Rajgarh in the same district. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and the ruling Congress have been quick to exchange barbs; the BJP has accused the Ashok Gehlot government and the Congress has blamed the BJP-run municipality for the demolitions. BJP MP Swami Sumedhanand Saraswati, from Sikar, along with other BJP leaders, arrived at the site of the demolition drive in Rajgarh to take stock of the situation.

"A 'gaushala' was demolished in Alwar and the grand gate of Salasar Balaji was also demolished... was this done on the orders of BJP? We demand a FIR should be registered against the officials who did this," he said.

The BJP delegation's visit follows a row over the demolition of the Shiva temple on Friday.

Two temples and some shops were demolished earlier this week with officials describing the action as part of an anti-encroachment drive to widen a road in the town.

Alwar collector Nakate Shivprasad Madan said the proposal had been passed by the Nagar Palika board and action was taken in line with the local administration's decisions and in the presence of police. That, however, has not satisfied the BJP, for whom Alwar MP Yogi Balaknath said: "Congress is doing appeasement politics and because of this Hindu temples were demolished and vandalized. Congress wanted to defame the Hindu religion."

"Those who have legal documents but their homes have been destroyed should be given compensation and a place... chief minister and district administration should apologise and the temples should be reconstructed and idols to be installed back with full respect," Swami Saraswati demanded.

On Friday, a video of the temple demolition went viral on social media, followed by a massive political controversy. The Congress washed its hands off the demolition, pointing out the Rajgarh municipality is ruled by the BJP and the action was also taken by them.

(Except for the headline and the pictorial description, this story has not been edited by THE DEN staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)