Vile Parle Jain Temple Demolition: Ward Officer Suspended Following Protests, Orders Issued by Municipal Commissioner
Mumbai: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Ward Officer Navnath Ghadage has been suspended following the demolition of a Digambar Jain temple in Vile Parle. The suspension order was issued by Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani after intense protests by members of the Jain community and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
The demolition, carried out with the help of a JCB machine under the orders of Ghadage, sparked strong opposition. Members of the Jain community staged a protest march from Vile Parle to the BMC’s K/East ward office in Andheri East, demanding action against the responsible officer. Responding to public outrage, the BMC initiated disciplinary action and suspended Ghadage.
Ghadage had been transferred to the Andheri K/East division as Assistant Commissioner just ten days ago. Now, following the controversy, further action has been taken against him.
Allegations of Religious Disrespect
During the demolition, it is alleged that BMC staff threw religious scriptures and sacred items belonging to the Jain community onto the road. Members of the Jain community claim they had requested officials to first respectfully remove the religious artifacts before proceeding with any demolition. They accuse the BMC of ignoring these pleas and acting insensitively.
The community is now demanding that the temple be reconstructed at the same location. Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court has issued a stay on further demolition activity at the site.
Jain Leaders Speak Out
Several Jain religious leaders have condemned the action, stating that this is not an isolated incident. “Many of our temples have been targeted. Even in this case, a hotel owner initiated the complaint that led to the demolition, and several political figures are involved,” one Jain monk said during the protest. He added that the Jain community across Maharashtra is now uniting to oppose such actions.
The leaders also appealed directly to the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, urging them to prevent such incidents in the future and to take strict action against those responsible.
