The 90-year-old Parshwanath Digambar Jain Temple located in Vile Parle, Mumbai, was demolished by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on April 16, reported Navbharat Times. This incident has sparked outrage among the Jain community across the country. In protest of the temple's demolition, an ahimsa rally was held on April 19. The rally was attended by Minister Mangalprabhat Lodha, MLA Parag Alavani, and Jain religious leaders. The Jain community is extremely angered over this move by the BMC. They are demanding action against the responsible officials, reported Navbharat Times.
When was the Jain Temple Demolished?Anil Shah, a trustee of the temple (Chaitalya) located inside the Neminath Cooperative Housing Society in Kamblewadi, said that the structure dated back to the 1960s and had been renovated with BMC's permission. He claimed that there is a government resolution stating such structures can be regularized. "You only need to submit a proposal for regularization to the BMC, and we have submitted it," Shah said.
Notice Issued to the Jain CommunityThe BJP is in power at the center, and in Maharashtra, a BJP-led Mahayuti coalition government is in place. The tenure of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation has ended, so the responsibility now lies with the state government. The BMC had issued a notice to the temple's management committee regarding the demolition. In response, the Jain community approached the Bombay High Court. The hearing was scheduled for April 17, but the BMC demolished the temple before the court could hear the matter, reported Navbharat Times.
What Do the Temple Trustees Say?The Jain community has argued that the BMC should have waited for the court's decision before taking action. Trustee Anil Shah said the Mumbai Municipal Corporation did not wait for the court’s ruling. The trustees emphasized that the BMC was aware that an appeal had been filed in the High Court, yet the temple was hastily demolished. Therefore, the Jain community is demanding an investigation into the incident, reported Navbharat Times.
The temple trustees stated that they had requested the authorities to wait until the court’s verdict, but their plea was ignored. Anil Shah said that the Jain brothers were peacefully protesting against the demolition. Before the protest began, the community performed aarti at the temple site. They also questioned who ordered the demolition of the temple.
Some religious books and temple items were also damaged during the demolition. Shah accused a local hotelier of being behind the action, reported Navbharat Times.
The Jain community acknowledged that a notice was issued before the demolition. Following the demolition, tension has escalated in the area, and the police are monitoring the situation.