New Delhi: Former Congress MP Ashok Tanwar moved Thursday the Supreme Court seeking contempt proceedings against the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Delhi government for allegedly ‘wilfully and deliberately disobeying’ its orders allowing construction of a permanent structure for the Guru Ravidas temple at Tughlaqabad here.
The temple was demolished by the DDA following the apex court’s August 9 last year direction which had observed that ‘serious breach’ was committed by Guru Ravidas Jayanti Samaroh Samiti by not vacating the forest area as earlier ordered by the top court.
Later, the top court had passed direction November 25 last year allowing construction of a permanent structure for the temple in Tughlaqabad forest area instead of a wooden porta cabin as suggested by the Centre.
In October it had accepted the Centre’s revised offer of 400 sq mt land area for construction of the temple and had directed the government to constitute within six weeks a committee for it.
Tanwar moved the apex court claiming that none of the directions given by the court October 21, 2019 and November 25 last year have been implemented by the authorities.
“The delay in construction of Guru Ravidas Temple is causing a lot of anguish and hurting millions of people, not only in India but across the world. The followers of Guru Ravidas had expected justice which unfortunately has not been meted out to them despite the orders of this court,” the plea from the former MP said.
The plea alleged that the committee, as mandated by the order of the court in the case, is ‘nowhere in sight’.
The plea said that the apex court, in its November 9, 2019 judgement in the Ayodhya case, had directed for formation of a trust and allocation of land for mosque. It said that trust has already been formed in terms of the judgement in the Ayodhya case but no committee has been constituted in the Guru Ravidas Temple matter despite the apex court’s directive.
“This in itself is patent discrimination and shows the neglect of the government towards the Scheduled Caste mostly who are ardent believers in Guru Ravidas,” the plea stated. It added that the ‘matter pertains to fundamental right to worship and is of utmost religious importance’.
PTI
