Find ‘better’ location for Ravidas temple: SC

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You find an amicable solution and come back to us. We respect everybody’s sentiments but we have to follow law. SC BENCH

NEWDELHI:The Supreme Court on Friday favoured an “amicable solution” for the re-construction of Guru Ravidas temple on a better location after it was demolished in Tughlakabad forest area here, saying it respects everybody’s “sentiments” but law has to be followed.

The temple was demolished by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) citing the top court’s direction. The demolition had led to a series of protests in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana.

The apex court asked the parties to hold a consultation to arrive at an amicable solution on a “better land” and “better location” and said if they are agreeable, then it would pass order.

A bench of justices Arun Mishra and S Ravindra Bhat said that attorney general KK Venugopal was also appearing in the matter and the petitioners, who were seeking apex court permission to re-construct the temple, should hold consultation with him. “You find an amicable solution and come back to us. Any day we can pass the order. We respect the sentiments of everybody on earth but we have to follow the law,” the bench said and posted the matter for further hearing on October 18 along with the pending petition on the issue.

“The attorney general is also appearing in the (pending) matter. Let us see what best we can do,” the bench said.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for petitioners and two former members of Parliament Ashok Tanwar and Pradeep Jain Aditya, referred to the Delhi high court’s earlier order in a matter related to encroachment around the temple.

However, the bench told Singh and other lawyers, who wanted to intervene in the matter, to hold consultations for arriving at an amicable solution. “Come back with a good solution,” the bench told the lawyers. The petitioners have sought enforcement of their right to worship which, they alleged, “was being denied to them due to demolition” of the temple.