Hindu groups have blocked traffic in Jaipur over demolition of temples
Protests by Hindu groups against the demolition of temples for the metro in Jaipur disrupted traffic across the city on Thursday morning.
The groups have announced a two-hour traffic blockade in the Rajasthan capital to press the BJP government to stop the demolition of 70 temples for metro work.
Some of these temples are over 100 years old, the groups claim; the Rojgareshwar Mahadev demolished recently is believed to date back to the18th century, when Jaipur city was established.
But for Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, what is more embarrassing is the support of organisations associated with her party's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), who have come under the umbrella of the "Mandir Bachao Sangarsh Samiti."
"The sangh does not do anything itself, but its workers take up causes, and the swayamsevaks are fully supporting this cause," said Kailash Nath Bhatt, a former BJP spokesperson with close links to the RSS.
Vasundhara Raje is confronting these protests at a time she is being attacked for allegedly helping disgraced cricket boss Lalit Modi. The BJP has resisted opposition pressure to act against her.
Some BJP lawmakers have also joined the chorus against their own government. Former minister and BJP legislator Narpat Singh Rajvi wrote to Ms Raje that public representatives were not consulted on the temple demolitions. Another party legislator Ghanshyam Tiwari had raised this issue in the state assembly.
But the government has maintained that it is necessary to remove temples to make way for the metro project, which is currently under construction in the old city.
"This is not an issue, the temples were broken for metro work and some as per supreme court and high court directions , they were also broken during the Congress's tenure , the Chief Minister and the state party president will resolve this issue at their level ," said government spokesperson Rajendra Rathore.
Some of these shrines, officials say, have been removed under Supreme Court guidelines banning temples that block traffic movement.