The Bharuch-Ankleshwar Urban Development Authority (BAUDA) officials were taken back by a scrap merchant’s response to an impending demolition threat against his purportedly unauthorized construction. Mohanlal Gupta has erected a “temple” containing the idols of Lord Ram, Sita, and Laxman. Gupta is suspected of adding a floor to a building he purchased last year. Additionally, statues of Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi stand “guard” outside the shrine on the rooftop. Gupta, a Uttar Pradesh native, went one step further and opened the temple on top of the alleged illegal scrap godown on January 22, in time for PM Modi’s dedication of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The extraordinary action by the crap merchant was taken shortly after the BAUDA inspector examined the structure in response to a complaint made by Mansukh Rakhasiya, a Jantanagar society member in Gadkhol village, Ankleshwar. When BAUDA officials visited the rooftop temple on Tuesday, in response to new complaints, they discovered that Gupta had added a floor without permission.
Envious people have complained about the structure, according to Gupta. I have altered the property by taking down a few sections. Some people are threatening to have the building demolished because they are jealous of me. I have also received demands for money from them. He said that they live in a residential society that is separated from our Riddhi Siddhi society. Rakhasiya’s initial complaint, filed on July 11, 2023, claims that no prior consent was obtained for alleged illegal constructions, including Gupta’s, in three of the village’s residential societies. The complaint named two other buildings, one constructed by Ramjikumar Maurya in Arunodaya Nagar Society and another by Ravi Vishwakarma at Nirav Kunj Society, in addition to Gupta’s two-story building in the Riddhi Siddhi residential society.
Rakhasiya accompanied it up with a message to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on January 1st of this year, outlining the three constructions. This time, he also insisted that BAUDA officials face harsh consequences for their incompetence. Rakhasiya contacted the BAUDA team again with images and videos from the inaugural event to which the village sarpanch and residents were invited. On Tuesday, the team returned to the site.
The news agency was informed by BAUDA in-charge town planner Nitin Patel that Gupta has been given seven days to submit the required plot documentation and other information. First and foremost, it has been discovered that the building was entirely newly constructed rather than renovated, as previously stated. However, Rakhasiya claimed that the village’s illegal construction has gone unchecked by the authorities. He said,” We have also written to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Bharuch Collector Tushar Sumera and demanded that actions be taken,” adding that the rooftop temple containing statues was Gupta’s smart move to prevent his property from being demolished.
