SC agrees to examine plea to repeal Bodh Gaya temple law
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The demand of Buddhists' included replacing the Act with a central law.
The bench of Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh issued notice to the Centre and others seeking their responses on the petition and tagged it for further hearing. Earlier on June 30, the apex court had turned down the petition and asked the petitioner to move high court concerned.
Mahavihara campus in
comprises the sacred Bodhi (peepal) tree, around 50-metres tall shrine structure, the lotus pond known as Muchlind pond, several ancient stupas and other religious signs of Buddha's enlightenment journey.
Practising meditation under the shadow of the tree, Prince Siddhartha attained enlightenment to be called Buddha, around 2,600 years ago.
According to the temple Act 1949, an eight-member committee comprising four Buddhists and four Hindu members takes care of management and administration of the sacred shrine. District magistrate of Gaya happens to be ex-officio chairman of the committee, while the member secretary is nominated by home department of the state govt.
Apart from seeking all members from Buddhist community in the committee, the petition has also sought removal of encroachment in the vicinity of the Mahavihara campus.
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