Dadar Hanuman temple won't be demolished, notice stayed: BJP leaders

BJP leaders on Saturday said that a demolition notice issued by the Railways to a temple outside Mumbais Dadar station has been stayed with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis saying it would be regularised as per rules reported the PTIThe assertions by the ruling party leaders came a day after Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray slammed the BJP over the noticeBJP legislator Mangal Prabhat Lodha said the Dadar Hanuman temple will be protectedMangal Prabhat Lodha visited the temple near Platform No 12 at Dadar East adjacent to the Central Railway station He interacted with the temple trustees and joined the aartiMLA Kalidas Kolambkar and members of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad were also present at the temple as per the PTILodha said he had spoken with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and an order has been issued to halt the demolitionShiv Sena UBT chief Thackeray on Friday claimed that Railways had issued a fatwa edict to bring down the 80yearold Hanuman temple built by porters Taking a dig at the BJPs ek hai to safe hai slogan he said even temples are not safe in the saffron partys regime according to the PTIAfter his temple visit Lodha who represents the Malabar Hill assembly constituency in the city told reporters that the BJPled governments at the Centre and Maharashtra listen to the concerns over Hindutva and that of the peopleWe understand the sentiments of the Hindu community regarding this temple and I assure you that no harm will come to this sacred place Since we learnt about the situation BJP leaders and Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad workers have all been in contact with railway minister Vaishnaw he said the news agency reportedThe BJP leader said they have made every effort to protect the temple and would continue to do soIn a notice dated December 4 to the trusteepujari of the temple the Railways said the structure was an encroachment and constructed without authorisation on land owned by itThese structures are affecting the movement of commuters and vehicular traffic It is also obstructing the construction of infrastructure works at Dadar station it said The Railways had given a sevenday notice for the removal of the structureLodha said the notice has been stayedMeanwhile responding to a question about the temple Devendra Fadnavis who was at the Pune Book Festival 2024 said The process of classification of temples is underway Ancient temples are preserved The issue of Dadar Hanuman temple will be discussed with the railway administration and a solution will be found We will regularise it as per the rules as per the PTIHis party colleague and former MP Kirit Somaiya also visited the temple on Saturday He told the trustees that the railway officials had assured him the temple wouldnt be demolishedAttacking Thackeray Somaiya told reporters that those who put devotees of the deity in jail for chanting Hanuman Chalisa eventually have to surrender before Lord Hanuman referring to the arrest of former MP Navneet Rana in Mumbai two years agoFormer Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray along with other leaders of Shiv Sena UBT performed a puja at the Hanuman temple in Mumbais Dadar area amid the demolition rowAaditya reached the temple in the evening and performed a mahaaarti He was accompanied by party leaders Anil Desai Sanjay Raut and several workersSpeaking to reporters earlier Aaditya targeted the BJP over the issue saying it uses the Hindutva ideology only to get votesThough the railways has stayed the demolition it must withdraw the notice he demandedwith PTI inputs