The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has triggered a wave of anger and protest after demolishing an alleged unauthorized Jain temple in Mumbai’s Vile Parle area, with community members calling the move unjustified and insensitive.
According to Anil Shah, a trustee of the decades-old ‘chaitalaya’ located within the Neminath Cooperative Housing Society in Kambliwadi, the structure was demolished on April 16. He claimed the temple had existed since the 1960s and had even undergone renovations in the past with BMC’s approval.
“There is a government resolution that allows for regularization of such structures. All we had to do was submit a proposal to the BMC — which we did,” said Shah, suggesting the demolition ignored due process.
He further alleged that the demolition was carried out under pressure from a local hotelier, and that religious texts and temple artifacts were damaged during the operation.
The Jain community has expressed deep anguish over the action and announced a protest march to the BMC’s K-East ward office on Saturday.
Despite repeated attempts, the BMC has not issued a statement or responded to calls and messages regarding the demolition, leaving questions unanswered and tensions high.
