In Bharuch, statues of the prime minister and a yogi protect a rooftop temple from demolition.

Officials from the Bharuch-Ankleshwar Urban Development Authority (BAUDA) were surprised by the response of a scrap merchant facing a demolition threat for his alleged unauthorized construction. Mohanlal Gupta has built a “temple” featuring idols of Lord Ram, Sita, and Laxman.

Gupta is suspected of adding an additional floor to a building he acquired last year. On the rooftop, statues of Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi stand as protectors of the shrine. Gupta, originally from Uttar Pradesh, inaugurated the temple on top of the purported illegal scrap godown on January 22, coinciding with PM Modi’s dedication of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

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This unconventional action by the scrap merchant followed a BAUDA inspection prompted by a complaint from Mansukh Rakhasiya, a member of the Jantanagar society in Gadkhol village, Ankleshwar. When BAUDA officials revisited the rooftop temple on Tuesday, responding to new complaints, they discovered that Gupta had added a floor without obtaining the necessary permission.

According to Gupta, envy is driving the complaints against the structure. He asserts that he made alterations to the property by removing certain sections and claims that some individuals are threatening to have the building demolished due to jealousy. Gupta also mentions receiving extortion demands. He clarifies that they reside in a residential society separate from their Riddhi Siddhi society.

Rakhasiya’s initial complaint, lodged on July 11, 2023, alleged the absence of prior consent for illegal constructions, including Gupta’s, in three residential societies in the village. The complaint cited 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 Riddhi Siddhi residential society.

Rakhasiya escalated the matter by sending a message to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on January 1st of this year, detailing the three constructions and demanding severe consequences for BAUDA officials’ perceived incompetence. He later provided BAUDA with images and videos from the temple’s inauguration, attended by the village sarpanch and residents. The BAUDA team returned to the site on Tuesday.

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BAUDA’s in-charge town planner, Nitin Patel, informed the news agency that Gupta has been given seven days to submit the required plot documentation and other information. It was revealed that the building was entirely newly constructed, contrary to earlier claims of renovation. Rakhasiya insists that illegal construction in the village has been unchecked by authorities and has written to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Bharuch Collector Tushar Sumera, urging them to take necessary actions. He believes that Gupta’s rooftop temple with statues is a strategic move to prevent the demolition of his property.