Ravidasias reject Centre’s offer, dharna in Delhi on Aug 21
Rejecting to the Centre’s offer, the leaders of the Ravidasia community said they wanted the temple rebuilt at the same site as it had historical value.
A day after calling a bandh in Punjab, the Ravidasia community rejected Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s offer to build a temple dedicated to Guru Ravidas at a different location from where it was razed on Supreme Court orders recently and announced that they will hold a dharna at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on August 21.
All India Aadh Dharam Mission president Satwinder Heera and Sadhu Samaj leaders Sarwan Das and Surinder Das announced here on Wednesday that the community will not take part in Independence Day celebrations in Punjab as the demolition of the temple at Tughlakabad in Delhi on August 10 was an attack on its religious freedom.
Rejecting Puri’s offer, the leaders said they wanted the temple rebuilt at the same site as it had historical value. “A new temple at any other location is unacceptable,” Heera said, adding that an ultimatum had been given to the Centre to resolve the matter by August 21.
The leaders thanked Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh and other Sikhs organisations for supporting the bandh on Tuesday. The Congress government in the state also backed the bandh. Doaba, comprising Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar districts, was hit due to the protests on Tuesday, affecting road and rail traffic.