With political heat piling on, Rajasthan government on Tuesday announced that it was suspending three officers over the demolition of a temple in Alwar. Rajgarh Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Keshav Kumar Meena, Rajgarh Municipality Board's chairman Satish Duharia, and Executive Officer (EO) Banwari Lal Meena would face the action.
The BJP had put pressure on Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on the incident. BJP MP Sumedhanand Saraswati demanded the Rajasthan government apologise for the demolition of the two temples in Alwar and rebuild them, as he also sought a judicial inquiry into the alleged harassment of people during the anti-encroachment drive last week.
The temples and some other structures were demolished last week in Alwar district's Rajgarh with officials describing the action as part of an anti-encroachment drive to widen a road in the municipal town. Saraswati told a press conference that people who possess authorised land deeds for the demolished houses or shops should be compensated and their structures rebuilt.
"The state government should apologise for the temples which have been demolished and the temples should be built back and those who have authorised deeds should be compensated and their houses should be built," he said. The officers who conducted the drive "without" giving any notice and "harassed" people should be punished and a judicial inquiry be conducted, he said.
Saraswati, who was part of a team constituted by the state BJP to investigate the temple demolition, submitted a report on Monday to BJP state president Satish Poonia. On Saturday, a five-member BJP committee headed Poonia visited Rajgarh in Alwar where the two temples were among other structures removed by bulldozers by the Rajgarh Nagar Palika.