Statues of PM Modi and Yogi Adityanath outside rooftop shrine.
Credit: X/@bindass200
A scrap dealer facing a potential demolition threat over his alleged unauthorised construction has surprised officials of the BAUDA (Bharuch Ankleswar Urban Development Authority) by transforming it into a 'temple' featuring statues resembling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as 'guards'.
Mohanlal Gupta, accused of adding an extra floor to a building he purchased last year, has now transformed it into a "temple" featuring idols of Lord Ram, Sita, and Laxman, Indian Express reported.
Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Gupta inaugurated the temple on January 22, coinciding with the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya by PM Modi.
This unusual move came in response to BAUDA officials inspecting the building following a complaint by Mansukh Rakhasiya, a resident of Jantanagar society in Gadkhol village, Ankleshwar.
BAUDA officials, upon revisiting the site after fresh complaints about the rooftop temple, discovered Gupta's additional construction which was carried out without prior permission. Gupta claims that Jitendra Oza, the property's previous owner, had obtained permission for construction from Gadkhol Gram Panchayat in 2012.
Gupta accuses envious individuals of filing complaints against his property, alleging that they are jealous and threatening to have the structure demolished while demanding money from him. Rakhasiya's initial complaint, lodged on July 11, 2023, highlighted the lack of prior permission for alleged illegal constructions in three residential societies of the village, including Gupta's two-storey building in Riddhi Siddhi residential society.
Despite the initial complaint, no action was taken, prompting Rakhasiya to file another application before Bharuch District Collector Tushar Sumera on December 1. After an inspection on December 21, BAUDA officials visited the site again on Tuesday, responding to Rakhasiya's latest complaints and media coverage of the temple's inauguration.
The BAUDA team has given Gupta seven days to submit necessary documents, asserting that the entire building was newly constructed, and not renovated as claimed.
Gupta's sale deed documents, done in his wife Kiran's name on January 21, 2023, show only the ground floor, but BAUDA officials found a newly constructed building with a temple on the roof. Gupta contends that the rooftop temple with statues is a strategic move to protect his property from demolition, while Rakhasiya alleges inaction by authorities against illegal constructions in the village.
Both parties have communicated their concerns to Bharuch Collector Tushar Sumera and Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. Gupta further claims that Rakhasiya has been regularly threatening him and requests protection from district authorities.