Hindu temple raises £50,000 to fight site's sale

A Hindu community has amassed £50,000 to fight a council's plans to sell the site of its temple.

Peterborough City Council decided to sell the land of the Bharat Hindu Samaj's temple to reduce its debts, and its cabinet selected Khadija Mosque as its preferred bidder in December.

On Monday a High Court judge offered the temple a stay of execution after issuing a temporary injunction against the sale and the court will now decide what happens next, once the temple group and council have set out their cases in writing.

A council spokesperson said: "We are aware of the legal action being pursued... and will now engage in the legal process."

According to Mitesh Sisodia, one of the temple's fundraisers, the public response has left worshippers "blown away".

"We have received donations from people in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Obviously we've had some from India, but also as far a field as the United States," Sisodia said.

It was not only the Indian community who have donated, but also "people from all walks of life. Christians, Muslims, all kinds of people," he added.

According to the temple, its community needed to raise £86,000 in order to continue fighting the council in court.

The money would cover "specialist public law solicitors and barristers. It will cover the court fees and evidence preparation costs. And it will also cover any compliance with urgent court directions to submit things," Sisodia explained.

In a statement, Peterborough City Council said its officers were continuing "to liaise with all affected parties in this matter".

A representative of the Khadija Mosque explained that due to ongoing legal proceedings "it would not be appropriate for us to comment on the detail at this stage".

"Our focus remains on acting responsibly, supporting community cohesion, and working constructively with the council and all affected parties," they said.

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