ABVP members allegedly threaten to break the Jain idol within Baghpat university

The administration of Digambar Jain College in the Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh has accused members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, of threatening to demolish an idol and temple of a Jain goddess installed within the campus. The Hindu reported Thursday.

A video widely shared on social media showed a group of men wearing saffron scarves with ABVP written on them. The group can be seen at the entrance of the temple even when police personnel tried to reason with them. They can be heard shouting “Vidyarthi Parishad zindabad” and “Bharat Mata ki jai”.

Members of the Hindutva group allegedly demanded that the idol be removed and replaced by the statue of Saraswati, the Hindu deity of knowledge. The head of the university, Virendra Singh, filed a complaint, but as of Thursday night no arrests have been made.

Singh said the ABVP members used “indecent language” in front of the temple. “We fear that these rebellious students and others [outsiders] getting involved with them can cause damage to the temple and the statue of Ma Shrutdevi, the symbol of the faith of the devout Jains, “he told the newspaper.

DK Jain, deputy secretary of the university, also said that between 25 and 30 students broke into the campus along with some outsiders and tried to destroy the idol.

Baraut Station House Officer Ajay Sharma said The Hindu that there was a misunderstanding as some students affiliated with the ABVP thought that the Shrutdevi idol was made after modifying an idol of the Hindu deity Saraswati. “It was nothing,” he added. “There was a confusion. We made them sit together and talk ”.

Sharma said the police convened both parties to understand his point of view. He added: “More research is underway. Let’s see what happens after that. “

The Principal of Digambar Jain College said Week that rumors about the idol started last month when some restoration work was done on the statue. “Someone floated the wrong information that a statue of the goddess Saraswati had been placed underneath that of the Tirthankar,” he said.

‘Dignity violated’

Meanwhile, a meeting between Jain groups and intellectuals was held after the incident. Historian Amit Rai Jain said that by climbing on the idol in their shoes, the students had violated the goddess’s dignity.

“They threatened to demolish the temple and issued an ultimatum saying that if the idol and Shrutdevi temple are not removed in seven days, they will demolish them,” Jain told reporters. “This is very reprehensible. The Jain community is concerned. “