Following a ‘veiled threat’ by Ashok Singhal, international president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Friday directed local authorities concerned to put off the demolition drive of unauthorised religious structures in Gandhinagar and other parts of Gujarat.

The government announced its decision to postpone the drive after an hour-long meeting between Singhal and Modi at the Chief Minister’s official bungalow this morning. Later, a government spokesman told Newsline that the demolition drive was put off. The exercise could resume in the days to come after a review of the situation in the “right perspective.”

When confronted by mediapersons after the meeting, Singhal declined to comment on the government’s decision. He also refused to entertain queries by reporters as to what was discussed at the meeting with Modi.

Sources close to the VHP, however, said Singhal made a strong representation before Modi to stop the demolition of temples, which might otherwise snowball into a major agitation by Hindutva forces in Gujarat. On his part, Modi was learnt to have explained to the VHP chief as to why the government had launched the demolition drive against unauthorised temples mushrooming across the state Capital.

As news of the government’s decision to put the drive on hold reached the residents of Gandhinagar, there was a virtual jubilation among those opposing the drive.

In the evening, members of the Mandir Bachao Samiti led by Maha Gujarat Janata Party chief Gordhan Zadafia gathered near the Pathik Ashram and celebrated the government’s decision as “a victory of Hindutva” by bursting firecrackers. Some priests of demolished temples also participated in the celebration.

“The government should pay adequate compensation to the trustees of the temples demolished during the drive, and also allow them to reconstruct them. If the government can regularise unauthorised slums, and also illegal commercial complexes by charging impact fees from their owners, the same can be done in the case of temples,” said Zadafia.

He told Newsline that “there are small Ram temples built illegally on the panchayat or government land in almost all the villages across Gujarat.” As such, the the government should also initiate a similar drive to raze them, he said.

The former BJP rebel leader warned that his newly-floated political outfit will launch protest programmes if the government resorts to such ‘anti-Hindu’ exercises in the future.

Meanwhile, a senior officer in the state Roads and Building Department said that the anti-encroachment cell was keeping a strict vigil to ensure that temples did not resurface on the sites where they had been demolished during the drive. He said the idols of the demolished temples were with the department's custody. “We will reinstall them at the recently renovated crematorium on the outskirts of Gandhinagar or in other temples in the capital, he said.