Latest news with #NileshchandraVijay
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Marathi grp protests Jain push for pigeon feeding in Dadar
Mumbai: The Dadar Kabutarkhana controversy escalated on Wednesday as several hundred Marathi Ekikaran Samiti members were detained while protesting against the Jain community's demand to allow pigeon feeding at the spot. The Samiti members said they were angered by the remarks of Jain monk Nileshchandra Vijay, who threatened an indefinite hunger strike and said he would "pick up arms" if necessary. Police denied the Samiti permission to protest a day earlier. By morning, heavy bandobast was in place with barricades, deployment of police teams, and officers stationed outside the adjoining Jain temple. Several shops in the vicinity remained shut. The protesters who arrived engaged in heated arguments with police, demanding to know why no action was taken against Jain community members who last week forcibly tore down the civic cover around the Kabutarkhana, allegedly even using knives and scissors. Dadar police detained 15-20 members and later let them go. Police haven't registered any FIR or NC against the protestors, saying the matter is still pending before court and they had detained a few protestors as a precautionary measure. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Are you ready to conquer a planet? Undo You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Gold Rates Today in Mumbai | Silver Rates Today in Mumbai "This is not a religious issue but a matter for the entire community," said one protester, adding if anyone was speaking about picking up weapons, "they should clarify against whom. We come from the lineage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and are also capable of picking up weapons. The Marathi manoos will not tolerate this." The crowd repeatedly chanted slogans of "Marathi mansacha vijay aso." In response, Jain monk Nileshchandra Vijay clarified his community would not use weapons and planned to protest peacefully — but only after Paryushan. "When I said we will pick up 'shastra', I meant we would go on a hunger strike, following Gandhi's path of satyagraha. Even if someone assaults us, we will endure it. If anyone believes we are disrespecting the Marathi manoos, let me be clear — we will never take up arms. We believe in ahimsa," he said. He added while Rajasthan is the community's janmabhoomi, Maharashtra is their karmabhoomi, and they respect both Maharana Pratap and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. "We are a peace-loving trading community. But if court decisions go against us, we will be compelled to protest. We did not use weapons to cut the Kabutarkhana cover, it was cut with a sharp tool used for cutting pipes," he said. Calling MNS chief Raj Thackeray "the god of the Marathi language," the monk urged him to intervene and end the row. (Inputs by Ahmed Ali & Pushkraj Vernekar) Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Marathi outfit protests at kabutarkhana; mulling controlled feeding, BMC tells Bombay HC
Members of a pro-Marathi outfit were detained by the police on Wednesday for staging a protest at the kabutarkhana in Mumbai's Dadar in support of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) ban on feeding pigeons. Marathi Ekikaran Samiti chief Govardhan Deshmukh, who was also detained, asked why no case had been filed against members of the Jain community who allegedly removed the tarpaulin sheets covering the pigeon feeding spot on August 6. Members of the Marathi outfit were released later. Jain monk Nileshchandra Vijay on Monday had warned of launching an indefinite hunger strike from Wednesday against the civic body's move to close down kabutarkhanas in the city and stated that 'if necessary, we will also take up arms for religion'. Pramod Sudhakar Parte, vice-president of the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti, said they were angered by the remarks of the monk. 'Believe in ahimsa' Later, the Jain monk clarified that he meant taking the path of satyagraha. 'When I said shastra (arms), I meant taking the path of satyagraha (search for truth) like Mahatma Gandhi and sitting on hunger strike. We believe in ahimsa (non-violence). This is not a conflict between Marathi and Marwari,' he said, adding that he is willing to meet Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray to avoid escalation of the row. Later in the day, the BMC informed the Bombay High Court that it intends to allow controlled feeding of pigeons at the kabutarkhana in Dadar daily for two hours from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. under certain conditions. The court, however, directed the civic body to issue a public notice inviting objections before taking a final decision. Advocate General Birendra Saraf, for the State government, submitted a list of 11 names to be part of a committee that would carry out a scientific study on the issue of feeding pigeons at public places and its impact on human health. The High Court said the government shall notify the committee by August 20. The court was hearing a bunch of petitions filed by people who regularly feed pigeons at kabutarkhanas. 'Find middle ground' Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis advocated for finding the 'middle ground' to resolve the ongoing controversy, saying both public health and religious sentiments must be respected. He proposed creating designated feeding areas away from human settlements and noted that 'controlled feeding could be one solution'.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Dadar Kabutarkhana row escalates into Jain–Marathi manus face-off
MUMBAI: The Dadar Kabutarkhana controversy took a sharp communal turn on Wednesday as hundreds of Marathi Ekikaran Samiti members were detained while protesting against the Jain community's demand to allow pigeon feeding. The Samiti members said that they were angered by remarks from Jain monk Nileshchandra Vijay, who threatened an indefinite hunger strike and said he would 'pick up arms' if necessary to protect his religion. Police had denied the samiti permission to protest a day earlier, but by morning, heavy bandobast was in place with barricades, deployment of multiple police teams, and officers stationed outside the adjoining Jain temple. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Gold Rates Today in Mumbai | Silver Rates Today in Mumbai Several shops in the vicinity remained shut. Protesters engaged in heated arguments with the police, demanding to know why no action was taken against Jain community members who had, last week, forcibly torn down the civic cover around the Kabutarkhana alleged even using knives and scissors. 'This is not a religious issue but a matter for the entire community,' said one protester, adding that if anyone was speaking about picking up weapons, 'they should clarify against whom. We come from the lineage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and are also capable of picking up weapons. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Compare Spreads: Bitcoin vs Ethereum CFDs IC Markets Learn More Undo Marathi manus will not tolerate this.' The crowd repeatedly chanted slogans of 'Marathi mansacha vijay aso.' Samiti member Govardhan Deshmukh accused the home minister of siding with 'a particular community' and ignoring the concerns of locals. 'We had gathered only to speak to the press and give our representation to police against those who threatened to take up arms if pigeon feeding was banned. We were not here to create unrest,' he said. The confrontation comes exactly one week after the Jain community staged their own protest at the same spot against the BMC's pigeon-feeding ban — a protest that ended with them dismantling the civic cover around the Kabutarkhana. The cover however was again put up by the BMC late on Sunday night. The Kabutarkhana, a long-standing feeding spot for pigeons at Dadar, has been at the centre of a civic drive to curb the practice due to public health concerns. In response to the Samiti's protest, Jain monk Nileshchandra Vijay clarified that his community would not use weapons and planned to protest peacefully — but only after Paryushan. 'When I said we will pick up shastra, I meant we would go on a hunger strike, following Mahatma Gandhi's path of satyagraha. Even if someone assaults us, we will endure it. If anyone believes we are disrespecting the Marathi manus, let me be clear — we will never take up arms. We believe in ahimsa,' he said. He added that while Rajasthan is the community's janmabhoomi, Maharashtra is their karmabhoomi, and they respect both Maharana Pratap and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. 'We are a peace-loving trading community. But if court decisions go against us, we will be compelled to protest. We did not use weapons to cut the Kabutarkhana cover — it was cut with a sharp tool used for cutting pipes. Even at Vile Parle, when our temple was demolished, 40,000 of us gathered and protested peacefully without weapons,' he said. Calling MNS chief Raj Thackeray 'the god of the Marathi language,' the monk urged him to intervene and end the controversy. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Row over ban on feeding pigeons: Jain monk puts hunger strike on hold, awaits meeting with Fadnavis
Jain monk Nileshchandra Vijay has temporarily put on hold his indefinite hunger strike, which was scheduled to begin on August 13, following initial talks with the Maharashtra Chief Minister's office regarding the recent ban on feeding pigeons at Dadar's kabutarkhana (pigeon feeding spot). Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Vijay said he had decided to wait for a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. 'We are expecting a meeting in three days. We do not believe in merely dropping a letter. We want a clear, face-to-face communication with him to present all our grievances about feeding the innocent pigeons who have been dependent on grains and water at the kabutarkhana for years,' he said. The religious leader, however, made it clear that the pause was temporary. 'Yes, I had announced that I would sit on an indefinite hunger strike from August 13 against the ban. After discussion, we decided to wait for three more days. If there is no positive response from the meeting, we will take a call accordingly. I will not stop,' he asserted. Mr. Vijay has also issued a warning to the State government that if the ban is not lifted within a week, he will resume the protest along with one lakh members of the Jain community from Mumbai. 'The government must fear that the BMC election is coming up. If they would continue their unconstitutional harassment towards innocent pigeons, none of us from the Jain community will vote. We will boycott the upcoming civic elections in protest,' he added. The Supreme Court on Monday refused to intervene in the petition challenging a Bombay High Court order directing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to register criminal cases against individuals feeding pigeons in Kabutarkhanas in the city. The apex court observed that the proceedings are pending before the High Court and the merit of the case is under consideration. In such a situation, parallel indulgence by this court is not proper. The Bombay High Court order was based on concern for public health. The court had reasoned that the public feeding of pigeons was a grave and potential health hazard to people of all ages at large. The court had previously restrained the BMC from demolishing any of the old heritage kabutarkhanas in the metropolis, but refused to allow feeding of the birds. In the meantime, community members have devised alternative ways to continue the practice without violating the ban. These include installing racks on rooftops of their cars to serve as feeding stations for the pigeons. 'Our cars are just driving around the Kabutarkhana and feeding the pigeons. There is no ban on feeding pigeons over our car roof, so no one should have a problem with that,' said Jain leader Bhagyachandra Muni. The Jains have also expressed alarm over what they describe as a mass die-off of pigeons since the feeding restrictions began. Mr. Vijay claimed that around 10,000 pigeons have died in the past 15 days. 'We have all the proof. With no water and food, they will die anyway,' he said, adding that the community intends to present this evidence to the Chief Minister and later in the court.
