NEW DELHI: Showing their displeasure against the Jharkhand government’s decision to turn Shri Sammed Shikharji Tirth into an eco-tourist spot, a large number of people from the Jain community on Sunday staged a protest in the city.
Angry protesters said that the government’s move to make Shri Sammed Shikharji Tirth an ecotourism destination will affect the religious sanctity of the site as it is one of the few holiest pilgrimage sites that they have closely guarded for years.
A memorandum was submitted by the Jain protestors to President Draupadi Murmu on this matter. Meanwhile, a gathering of protesters at the India Gate area threw traffic out of gear as people were stuck in jams for a few hours.
The Jharkhand government had earlier announced to turn of Shri Sammed Shikharji into a tourist place. The protesters, while gathering at the India Gate area in the city on the first day of January, said that it is unethical and unacceptable that the government is playing with religious sentiments by compromising the sanctity of a sacred place. They were also seen shouting ‘sammed shikhar hamara hai” like slogans and chanting mantras.