Demolished Valmiki temple on KGMU premises to be rebuilt

LUCKNOW: The Maharishi Valmiki temple located behind the dental wing of the King George’s Medical University (KGMU ) that was found destroyed, triggering a protest, will be reconstructed and the work will begin from Friday.

BSP chief Mayawati had also condemned the incident on twitter. “An ancient Sant Ravidas’ temple was demolished in New Delhi, then a BJP dalit MP was stopped from entering in Karnataka and now Valmiki temple on the KGMU campus was demolished. All this is disgraceful and shameful. The centre and state governments should take these incidents seriously. This is BSP’s demand,” she tweeted on Thursday.

The decision to reconstruct the temple was taken In a meeting between leaders of the Valmiki community and KGMU officials . “On humanitarian ground we are getting the temple reconstructed. It appears as if during the levelling work of the ground the damage took place on Wednesday,” said Prof RAS Kushwaha, KGMU chief proctor after the meeting on Thursday. Prof Kushwaha had also filed a police complaint.

ADM (West) SK Vaish said, “The temple that was demolished during some construction work is being reconstructed.”

“The statue will be replaced. Adequate number of police personnel has also been deployed on the spot,” said ASP (west) Vikas Chandra Tripathi.

The leaders of the community said it was a conspiracy to demolish the temple. “It seems the temple, one of the two ancient Valmiki temples in Lucknow, was demolished deliberately to disturb peace in city. The administration has promised us that the temple will be reconstructed before Valmiki Jayanti, which is on October 13,” said Shyamlal Valmiki of the Akhil Bharatiya Valmiki Mahasabha, who also filed a police complaint for action against the offenders.

Shyamlal Valmiki said not only was the temple demolished but the idol of Maharishi Valmiki was also missing.

King George’s Medical University registrar in his letter to Shyamlal Valmiki has said that the idol of Maharishi Valmiki will also be established before Valmiki Jayanti.