Residents of Shravanabelagola in Channarayapatna taluk of Hassan district, a noted pilgrimage centre for Jains, took part in a protest march on Monday condemning the murder of a Jain monk at Chikkodi.
The protesters urged the State government to take stern action against the culprits and ensure the safety of Jain monks in the State.
Abhinava Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Swami, head of the Jain mutt at Shravanabelagola, said it was the responsibility of the State government to ensure the safety of Jain monks who uphold Ahimsa.
“Monks never use vehicles and travel by foot, irrespective of the distance. They lead a life without hurting any living organism. The murder of Kamakumar Nandi Maharaja has shocked the Jain community,” he said. The seer appealed to the government to take measures necessary for the safety of Jain temples (Basadis), mutts, monks, and shravakas.
The protest march covered the main streets of Shravanabelagola. Later, the protesters submitted a memorandum to Devaraj, Deputy Tahsildar at Naada Kacheri. Shravanabelagola gram panchayat president Anuradha Lohit, member S.B. Yashas, former president S.R. Lokesh, Bahubali Engineering College principal Sunil Kumar, members of Shravanabelagola Digambara Jain Samaja, Kushmandini Mahila Samaja, and others participated in the protest.
