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Time of India
14-05-2025
- Time of India
UP monk held for creating ruckus at Bodh Gaya
Gaya: Police on Wednesday arrested one 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 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 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.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Buddha Purnima: Guv, CM pray for peace and harmony
1 2 3 4 Gaya/Patna: Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and CM Nitish Kumar led the Buddha Purnima celebrations in the state on Monday, offering prayers for global peace and the Mahabodhi Mahavihara in Bodh Gaya , governor Khan, the chief guest at the event organised by the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC), prayed at the sanctum sanctorum and presented a robe, flowers, incense sticks and kheer to the statue of Lord Buddha. He also unveiled Prajna-2025, the BTMC's annual bilingual magazine. A peace procession earlier in the day, from the 80-feet Buddha statue to the sacred Bodhi tree, saw participants offer prayers under the world heritage Mahabodhi chairman and district magistrate Thiyagarajan SM highlighted recent developments at the Mahavihara, including the installation of a 180KW solar power plant and the recycling of offered flowers into incense products. The event featured speakers such as International Buddhist Council president Ven N Tenzing Gyatso and Thailand's Upasika Thosporn Wachiraganphen, who spoke on the life and teachings of Patna, CM Nitish Kumar participated in a spiritual programme at Buddha Smriti Park where he offered prayers to Lord Buddha and meditated at the Pataliputra Karuna Stupa. Guided by monks, he worshipped Bodhi trees from Bodh Gaya, Anand, and Sri Lanka's Anuradhapura. "I prayed for the happiness, prosperity, and harmony of the state and the country," he CM also visited the Vipassana Centre, appreciated its facilities and later offered prayers to the Buddhist rock and Bodhi tree at his residence. Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, ministers and MPs also attended the event.
