The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday demolished an unauthorized Jain temple in Vile Parle, sparking outrage among the Jain community, who have called the action unjustified. The temple, located within the Neminath Cooperative Housing Society in Kambliwadi, had stood since the 1960s and had undergone renovations with BMC approval in the past, according to Anil Shah, a temple trustee.
Shah claimed that the BMC had ignored a government resolution allowing the regularization of such structures. “We had submitted a proposal for regularization, but the BMC proceeded with the demolition without considering it,” he said. He further alleged that religious texts and temple items were damaged during the demolition and accused a local hotelier of influencing the action.
In response, the Jain community plans to hold a protest march on Saturday to the BMC’s K-East Ward office in Andheri. The civic body has yet to issue an official statement, and BMC officials remained unavailable for comment.
Bombay HC Slams BMC Over Illegal Constructions
The demolition comes amid strong criticism from the Bombay High Court regarding the BMC’s failure to curb illegal constructions. A bench of Justices AS Gadkari and Kamal Khata, in a recent ruling, stated that unauthorized structures disrupt Mumbai’s planned development and strain infrastructure.
The court ordered the BMC to demolish an illegally constructed community hall in Ghatkopar within a week. The plot, reserved for a playground, also houses a Ganesh temple and has been used for public events. The HC held BMC officials accountable for negligence and directed the municipal commissioner to take disciplinary action, with a compliance report due in six months. The court also mandated that the land remain an open space, barring any future construction.
The Jain temple demolition has intensified scrutiny over BMC’s enforcement policies, with critics questioning the selective targeting of religious structures while other illegal constructions persist.
