Vijayawada: Citizens raise questions on demolition drive's legality

Vijayawada: The state government’s decision to demolish temples and mosques in the name of development has had many citizens opposing it while questioning its legality even as experts and former officials suggested that the local body pass a special resolution, prohibiting temples alongside roads and other public places. They felt it was better to thus avoid damaging any religious faith by demolishing their edifices and raising new controversies.

According to  officials, nearly 30 temples were demolished or relocated as part of road expansion activity even as many of them, churches and mosques remain by the side of roads and other unauthorised spots. Several temples were constructed on hills, all of them being encroachments, and on canal bunds and islands in the Krishna river. The VMC and traffic police had turned a blind eye to them.

Now, the same officials had to remove the very structures they had tried to protect indirectly. The Cabinet subcommittee will convene a meeting soon to discuss  the relocation of structures that were removed while experts said that the authorities should announce a proper future  plan. City BJP president Dr D. Umamaheswara Raju said that the government should  involve all parties and various organisations in this meeting, something that it should have already done.

K. Jaganmohan Rao, former Trust Board member of the Durga temple, said that the  government should take steps avoid any more untoward incidents. Pidi Raju, an auto driver, said that these incidents had shown that nobody should construct temples on roads. United Muslim Forum president Habeebur Rehman said the government should respect all the religions and their feelings. The demolition of structures without prior information is wrong. After providing the alternative arrangements only the government should have demolished the structures, he added.