MP: Rightwing activists hold protest after IMC action at Indore temple

Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], April 5 (ANI): A day after Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) removed illegal construction from the Beleshwar Jhulelal Mahadev Temple where 36 people were after the roof of a stepwell collapsed on Thursday last, a group of Rightwing activists on Tuesday late night reached Dhakkanwala Kuan in Madhya Pradesh's Indore and demanded the removal of 'Dargah' from the area. 

On being stopped by the police from reaching the spot, they sat on the road and started raising slogans against the administration. 

Indore's additional collector Ajay Dev Sharma said, "The administration with help of civic body has launched a drive and clearing illegal constructions in and around water bodies including Bawadis and wells. It's not about any particular religion." 

"We have already removed illegal constructions from Dhakkanwala Kuan area, and the drive will continue in future as well," said Sharma. 

"The protesters were also informed about the action, after which they called off their protest," he added. 

The protestors however claimed there is a dargah in the area and it has been built on a well and demanded that it should be removed. 

"We have withdrawn our protest after talks with the leaders of our organization and the district administration. But if the encroachment is not removed, we will remove the illegal encroachments ourselves," Rajesh Binjwe, one of the protestors said. 

Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) filled the stepwell of the temple with building materials where 36 people died last week after its floor collapsed and also demolished the illegal structure of the temple on Monday. 

The stepwell floor collapse incident occurred at Beleshwar Jhulelal Mahadev Temple located in Patel Nagar in the city on Thursday (March 30). A 'Hawan Puja' was going on in view of the Ram Navami festival in the temple at the time of the incident. 

Around 200 Municipal Corporation employees, officers and police force were present on the spot to remove the illegal structure of the temple constructed by encroaching over the garden land of Sneh Nagar locality. The police barricaded the entire area before the JCBs, bulldozers and dumpers reached the spot. 

Notably, Bajrang Dal workers had come to protest for the removal of the temple construction, but the police stopped them at the spot. Some local people also reached there to protest but the police convinced them too and drew them back. (ANI)