Jains Stage Protest Against Demolition Of Vile Parle Temple By BMC In Mumbai
The community has demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis suspend the Municipal Corporation officials involved in the demolition of the temple and that a temple be rebuilt in the same location.
The Jain community in Mumbai staged a protest on Saturday after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) demolished an alleged unauthorised Digambar Jain temple in the Vile Parle area. The community has termed the action as "unwarranted."
A protest march started at around 9:30 AM from Vile Parle and is headed to the BMC’s K/East ward office in Andheri East against the BMC. It will witness participation from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Jain community.
Jain Community Demands Suspension Of BMC Officials
The community has demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis suspend the Municipal Corporation officials involved in the demolition of the temple. They have been particularly demanding the suspension of Vanath Ghadge, the ward officer of the K/East division of the Municipal Corporation.
The Jain community has also demanded that the demolished Jain temple be rebuilt in the same location where it previously stood.
Temple Trustee Claims Religious Books Damaged
According to Anil Shah, a trustee of the temple or `chaitalaya' located inside Neminath Cooperative Housing Society in Kambliwadi, the temple was demolished on April 16. The structure dated back to the 1960s and had been renovated with the BMC's permission in the past, he told news agnecy PTI.
"There is a Government Resolution which sayssuch structures can be regularized. You are only required to submit the proposal for regularization to the BMC, which we had submitted," he claimed.
The trustee further claimed that some religious books and temple paraphernalia were also damaged during the BMC action, alleging that the demolition was carried out at the behest of a local hotelier.
Sources say that the Jain religious leaders had requested that the religious books and items be removed before demolition, but the municipal authorities ignored these pleas and proceeded with the demolition, citing a court order.
Municipal staff have also been accused of throwing religious items onto the road during the operation.
Meanwhile, the High Court has issued a stay on the further demolition of the temple until afternoon.
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