NDTV

Mumbai, Oct 12: The Bombay High Court has ordered that the wall around Siddhivinayak temple must go.

The court order came in response to a PIL filed by local residents who said the wall was encroaching on a public road.

Crores of rupees were spent by temple authorities on constructing a wall which was meant to be temporary in nature.

The Siddhivinayak temple is Mumbai's richest and most powerful temple, controlled by the state's ruling politicians, primarily the NCP.

Celebrations began at Prabhadevi after the high court order.

Not beyond law

The order is a message that Mumbai's favourite shrine with the rich and the powerful is not beyond the rule of law.

The wall was sanctioned by the Maharashtra government last November for a one-year period.

But local residents protested saying the structure built was a permanent one. Another objection was that instead of eight feet, the wall was built 60-feet away from the temple, thus encroaching upon the main road, causing not just traffic jams but diversions.

"We plan to celebrate this order. This had become a nuisance for us. It had become difficult for us to move around here," said a local resident.

Temple authorities have already said they will appeal in the Supreme Court.

Crores of temple funds were spent on constructing the wall and fortifying it so it could take the impact of a terror attack - expenses that were clearly never meant for a construction temporary in nature.