Mumbai: A delegation of Jains met the union minister of minority affairs Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday and addressed their concerns regarding multiple recent instances that have hurt the community’s sentiments. They also demanded that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials who demolished the Digambar Jain temple in Vile Parle should be suspended and the temple should be restored by the civic body.
Union Minister Rijiju was in Mumbai on Tuesday to meet the members of the Muslim community and address their concerns about the Waqf Act. Meanwhile, All India Jain Minority Federation also took the opportunity to meet him and put forward its demands regarding the concerns related to the Jain community. The concerns included attack on Jain monks in Madhya Pradesh, demolition of 90-year-old Digambar Jain temple in Mumbai’s Vile Parle and other longstanding issues of Sammet Shikharji, Shatrunjay Hills in Palitana, Girnar and Ranakpur.
The Jain group alleged that the recent demolition of 1008 Parshvanath Digambar Jain temple in Vile Parle was against the rule of law. It urged the union minister that the civic officials involved in the temple’s demolition should be suspended and an inquiry should be initiated against them. It also demanded that the temple, which is alleged to be wrongfully demolished, should be rebuilt by the BMC.
Talking to The Free Press Journal, Vikas Achha, national joint secretary of AIJMF, who was present at the meeting, said, “There are multiple issues that the Jain community is currently facing across the country. Our major concern was the recent demolition of the Jain temple in Vile Parle. The union minister has assured us that he will look into these matters.
Moreover, AIJMF also urged the minister that strict punishment should be given to the perpetrators of the attack on Jain monks in Madhya Pradesh’s Neemuch district and an inquiry should be initiated to determine the motive behind the attack. It also added that the Jain monks travelling by foot should be provided protection and resting places should be made for them. The delegation also urged that the Jain pilgrim sites should be set free of encroachments and tourist facilities should be developed around these sites.
