‘All are welcome to Anoop Mandal meet, except Jains’

Anoop Mandal, which openly says it is “against the doing of the Jain community”, is organising a conference at Zundal; the news has infuriated Jains, who blame the mandal for the recent attacks on their monks. The Jain community has demanded that the state government stop the mandal from holding the conference, proposed to be held from November 17 to 19.

For its part, the mandal has said that there was nothing unusual about the event. “We have been organising the conference at Zundal for the past 12 years with the government’ s permission,” said Amrut Prajapati, the national president of Anoop Mandal. “Nearly 30,000 members of Anoop Mandal are expected to participate.” There are more than 50 lakh mandal adherents, Prajapati said. “It is a public programme and people from all communities and religions are welcome — except Jains, of course.”

As for the Jains, they have threatened to take to the streets if the conference were to go ahead.

Jasmin Shah, the president of Sarvadharm Rakshak Seva Trust, which has filed several police complaints against Anoop Mandal said, “We have lost our great Maharaj Saheb in road accident and the possibility of Anoop Mandal’s involvement cannot be ruled out.” Shah said the state government should not grant permission to organise the event. “It is an anti-Jain cult, which is specifically targeting the Jain monks,” he said.