Mumbai News: Damaged Idols From Demolished Vile Parle Jain Temple Spark Fresh Outrage; Jain Community Demands BMC Official's Suspension

Mumbai: Even though the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation transferred the assistant municipal corporation who ordered demolition of the 90-year-old Digambar Jain Temple in Vile Parle, Jains have reiterated their demand that the official should be suspended. The reiteration follows after multiple damaged idols were unearthed from the site during removal of debris.

BMC on Saturday transferred assistant municipal commissioner Navnath Ghadge, who ordered the demolition of 1008 Parshvanath Digambar Jain Temple in Kambli Wadi of Vile Parle (E), after thousands of Jains took to street to protest against the demolition.

Jains offer prayers and perform religious rituals at the temple on Sunday after BMC removed the debris on Saturday evening

The Free Press Journal earlier reported that the Jain community has alleged that the civic officials demolished the temple under influence of a local businessman who plans to build a hotel and bar at the site.

After the mega protest rally on Saturday, the BMC removed the debris from the site to allow the community members to reinstall the idols and carry out religious rituals. However, the removal of debris once again sparked outrage among the community as multiple damaged idols were found from the remains.

Jains offer prayers and perform religious rituals at the temple on Sunday after BMC removed the debris on Saturday evening

According to community members, multiple damaged idols of Jain tirthankars, gold and silver jewelry as well as damaged religious texts were recovered from the debris.

Anil Shah, trustee of the temple, said, “We cannot accept damage to our sacred idols. We had requested them to let us take out the idols and other religious literature but they did not wait for it. We were pushed out of the temple along with other devotees, who were not even allowed to change their worship clothes.”

The damage to Jain idols has once again sparked outrage among the community which has reiterated its demand that the ward officer Ghadge and other officials involved with the demolition work should be immediately suspended.

Jains offer prayers and perform religious rituals at the temple on Sunday after BMC removed the debris on Saturday evening

Sandeep Bhandari, national vice president of All India Jain Minority Federation, said, “The community thinks that we have won already but they do not realise that this is nowhere close to victory. While we demanded that the ward officer should be suspended, he has simply been transferred. The removal of debris is not even the first step towards success. Only when the temple is restored, we will believe that we have succeeded.”

The seven-member managing committee, which has been constituted to deal with the issue, plans to meet the chief minister and municipal commissioner tomorrow and demand restoration of the temple by the BMC. The committee will also demand that the officials responsible for demolition are suspended.

Jamnalal Hapawat, national president of Global Digambar Jain Mahasabha, said, “We are setting up a meeting with the chief minister and municipal commissioner on Monday. We will represent our issue and demand that the temple is restored at the same place and the civic body should bear its expense.”

Vile Parle Jain Temple Trust to seek BMC nod for 2,000 Sq Ft shed at demolition site

After the BMC cleared some debris of demolished part of the Jain Digambar Temple in Vile Parle East, the devotees performed religious rituals on Sunday morning. Advocate Nidhi Chheda who is representing the temple trust said the status quo is maintained until the next hearing in HC on April 30. There can be no further demolition. The devotees allowed the perform rituals until the next hearing.

Meanwhile, Anil Shah from temple trust said that the trust will be applying for permission to erect shed on the temple. "The debris are on the side. On Monday, we will apply to BMC to erect around 2000 sq ft big shed to cover the premises. The devotees have started puja from Sunday," he said.

Meanwhile, on the allegation by the trust religious idols were damaged during the demolition by the BMC, a senior BMC officer directly connected to the demolition action said, "We had carefully removed the idols, puja materials and other religious items before the demolition. Nothing was damaged."

The senior officer also reiterated that the action taken by BMC to demolition the temple was as per High Court's order. "No court order was violated, simple. People should not believe of fabricated stories or fake narratives."

The police diary of the demolition incident also mentions that all religious items were removed by BMC staff before starting the action. The diary states that as soon as the officer on site got a call at 11.45 regarding HC order, demolition was immediately stopped.