Dalits protest demolition of Delhi's Ravidas temple

They demanded the reallotment of the land for the reconstruction of the temple.

Carrying black flags and banners, they first assembled at the PWD rest house here and then took out a protest march on the national highway, before converging on the sugar mill chowk.

They also raised slogans against the Union government.

Jarnail Nangal, president of the SC wing of the Lok Insaaf Party, led the protesters.

Nangal said Dalits had rejected the idea of having an alternative site for the temple.

When a delegation of the community met Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in Delhi, he had suggested an alternative site for the temple, he said.

"We are subjected to the tyranny of the system and the demolition of the Guru Ravidas temple is a glaring example of it," Nangal alleged.

He said Dalits would hold a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on August 21 to protest the demolition of the temple.

Meanwhile, Shri Guru Ravidas Sadhu Sampardai Society chairman Sant Mohinderpal Pandwa demanded the reconstruction of the temple at the same site.

He said,"It is a historic site hallowed by Guru Ravidas around 1509, a centre of faith and devotion for lakhs of his followers. Nothing short of the reallocation of the land is acceptable to us."

On August 13, members of Dalit community had observed a Punjab bandh to protest the demolition of the temple.