Willing to hand over 200 square meter area for Guru Ravidas temple: Centre tells SC

NEW DELHI: The Centre today told the Supreme Court that it is willing to hand over 200 square meter area to a committee of devotees for construction of Guru Ravidas temple in South Delhi.

A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and S Ravindra Bhat took on record the offer made by Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, and asked parties seeking construction of a temple to submit objections, if any by Monday.

At the outset, Mr Venugopal said he had held consultation with all parties including devotees and government officials and Centre has agreed to give the same piece of land considering sensitivity and faith of devotees for the site.

"That same 200 square metre area of the site can be handed over to a committee of devotees for construction of temple," Mr Venugopal said, adding that five out of seven petitioners, who approached court against demolition of temple have agreed to the proposal.

The top court on October 4, had asked the parties involved in a plea seeking permission to rebuild the Guru Ravidas temple in Delhi's Tughlaqabad forest area to come back to it with an amicable solution on a better location for the temple.

The temple was demolished by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) following the top court's direction, which had led to massive outcry and protests in the national capital.

The Supreme Court had said it respects everybody's sentiments but the law has to be followed.