HM assures SAD to consider reconstruction of Guru Ravidas Temple at original location: Sukhbir Singh Badal

Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Tuesday announced that union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured the party that the centre would sympathetically consider its appeal to reconstruct the Guru Ravidas Ji temple at its original location in Tughlakhabad and that action on the same would be taken in due course. The SAD president called on the Union Home Minister yesterday evening along with union food processing industries minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Both of them apprised the HM that the demolition of the temple, which was constructed on a site which was handed over to the community in the 15th century by the Lodhi dynasty, had hurt the sentiments of the Ravidasia community. Community members from across the world are expressing the desire to right this wrong”, they told the Home minister. Mr Badal disclosed that the Home Minister had assured the SAD that he would look into the matter and that the center would take action keeping in minds the sentiments of the Ravidasia community. “This includes taking up the case with the Supreme Court also. We are grateful for this assurance and hope this issue will now be resolved soon”. Briefing Amit Shah about the case, the SAD president said as per historical record the land for the temple was granted to the community by Sultan Sikander Lodhi. He said it seemed the managing committee of the temple could not represent itself adequately in court due to which it lost the case. Badal told the Union Home Minister that the SAD was committed to the rebuilding of the temple at the same spot as per the wishes of the Ravidasia community and had already offered to do so at the party’s expense. “The ‘Baani’ of Sri Guru Ravidas Ji is an inextricable part of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Maharaj and is also part of the composite culture of Punjab. Also Read: Punjab Floods: Shiromani Akali Dal to provide educational accessories to flood-affected families in Ropar villages The venerable saint is highly respected and revered by the Sikh community as well as Punjabis. There is a feeling that the temple is a symbol of cultural heritage which should be revived by rebuilding it at the same spot. It is because of this reason that we have approached you to resolve the issue at the earliest”, the SAD President and Harsimrat Badal told the Home Minister. The SAD president said the Home Minister assured them that he would take appropriate steps to resolve the issue. -PTC News