Find better location to rebuild Guru Ravidas Temple: SC

Supreme Court has asked aprties concerned to come up with a solution for a better location to rebuild Guru Ravidas Temple that was demolished on August 10 following its order. The top court said it respects sentiments of all.

New Delhi: Underlining that it respects the 'sentiments of everyone', the Supreme Court on Friday asked parties concerned to come up with a solution for a better location for building Guru Ravidas Temple.

The temple that was situated in the Tughlaqabad forest area, was demolished by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on August 10 after orders of the court.

The court made it clear that the temple was demolished for being on forest land and cannot be restored.

"We respect sentiments of everybody but we have to follow the law," a bench of Justices Arun Mishra and S. Ravindra Bhat assured the petitioners seeking reconstruction of the temple that it will do the best that could be done under the law.

The court asked all parties to hold consultations with the Attorney General and to come out with a good solution amicably.

The bench said that after all parties come out with better land, better location and a better way to build the temple, it will pass an order.

Additional Solicitor General P.S. Narsimha said the temple can be shifted and "it is not alien to our culture to worship a forest".

The court was hearing the petition filed by Ashok Tanwar, the Congress' former Haryana unit chief, and former Haryana Minister Pradeep Jain Aditya seeking reconstruction of the temple.