EDMC councillor alleges temple lying neglected, eyed by anti-social elements; mayor visits

A Congress councillor in the BJP-led East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) has alleged that an old temple in his ward is lying neglected for long and being eyed by ''anti-social elements'', following which the area's mayor visited the site on Monday.

East Delhi Mayor Shyam Sunder Aggarwal said the temple, built about 50 years ago, is located on a 600-square yard premises in Gali number 2 of the Chauhan Bangar ward.

Aggarwal visited the area along with Chauhan Bangar Councillor Zubair Ahmad, who told him that ''anti-social elements are eying the temple premises'', which is lying neglected.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and there is a Shivling installed inside it, but for the last around 15 years, it has suffered neglect and decay, the councillor said.

He appealed to the mayor to get the temple restored, which will augment the feeling of communal harmony in the area.

Aggarwal said the temple is located in an area where ''only members of the Muslim community live'', so no one has visited it for a very long time, leading to its neglect.

''We will seriously consider Ahmad's demand for the restoration of the temple,'' the mayor said.

In another development, as part of an anti-encroachment drive, EDMC authorities demolished illegally built shops in the fish market and ''murga mandi'', and sealed four fish-selling shops for ''operating without a licence,'' officials said.