UP monk held for creating ruckus at Bodh Gaya
Bhante Vinacharya
, of Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh) for trying to create ruckus and indulging in violent activities in support of the ongoing agitation by a section of
Buddhist monks
since Feb 12 this year. The protesting monks are demanding total control of Buddhists over the
Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee
(BTMC).District magistrate-cum-BTMC chairman Thiyagarajan SM said, "Despite the fact that the district administration has been helping the agitators to put forward their point at every level, some outsiders are also getting involved in illegal activities in the name of agitation.
Several rounds of talks have been held to end the agitation, but to no avail.""The agitators have also met high level officials of state home department, CM's secretariat at Patna.
During his visit to
Bodh Gaya
on Monday, governor Arif Mohammed Khan also met them. As tourists and the devotees from across the world visit Bodh Gaya, known as a place for peace and enlightenment, such illegal activities are causing damage to the image of the heritage city.
Such people are being identified through CCTV, videography and strict action is being taken against them," he said.SSP Anand Kumar said, "Magistrate and the police personnel deployed for security of Mahavihara noticed on Tuesday that under the guise of peaceful agitation, some anti-social elements suddenly started shouting slogans, creating ruckus and indulging in violent activities.
During initial investigation, it appeared that the aim of these people was to create tension under the guise of the agitation. Such elements had also made an abortive bid to cause inconvenience to devotees and tourists on the occasion of Buddha Jayanti on Monday."He said on Wednesday, the Bodh Gaya police received a written application from one Anuj Kumar Gupta, a resident of Bodh Gaya."Anuj mentioned that when he reached near the main gate of Mahabodhi Mahavihara on the way home from his shop, some people surrounded him shouting slogans and started beating him up and also abused him. Due to the intervention of other people present there and the police force, he was rescued from those anti-socials," said the SSP.In the wake of application by Anuj, and after scanning of CCTV footage, Bhante Vinacharya was arrested. On Wednesday, the shopkeepers took out a march to protest the attack on Anuj.
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