Delhi: An anti-encroachment drive was carried out by the Public Works Department (PWD) in Delhi's Bhajanpura area to remove a Hanuman temple and Mazar. The people of the area woke up to the voice of a bulldozer demolishing the two religious structures at Bhajanpura Chowk on Sunday. According to the officials, the demolition action was meant to pave the way for a proposed road widening project.
Taking to Twitter, AAP leader and PWD Minister Atishi launched a scathing attack on Delhi L-G and said that she requested Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to take his decision back over the demolition of temples and other religious places in the national capital but today again the demolition drive continued over Temple and Mazar in Delhi's Bhajanpura.
"Mr. LG: I had written a letter to you a few days back requesting you to take back your decision to demolish temples and other religious places in Delhi. But today again on your orders a temple has been demolished in Bhajanpura. I request you again that temples and other religious places should not be demolished in Delhi. People's faith is attached to these," said Atishi in a tweet.
Joy N Tirkey, DCP Northeast, said, "The anti-encroachment drive carried out by the PWD in Delhi's Bhajanpura area to remove a Hanuman temple and Mazar has been completed peacefully. A decision was taken by the Religious Committee of Delhi to remove both structures. The drive was carried out with the support of the locals."
At around 6 am on Sunday morning, a team from the PWD department initiated the removal drive of Hanuman Mandir and Mazar at the Chowk area with security forces. A heavy police force has been also deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
"This is a PWD road and they (concerned persons) were served notice to remove the structure themselves, but they did not remove it, so it was removed today," said Sharat Kumar, SDM Seelampur.
