Jain leaders distance community from remarks on Shivaji Maharaj, Maharani Tarabai

Chairman of the Maharashtra State Youth Congress, Akshay Jain, further clarified the community’s stance, saying, “These are his personal opinions; as a community, our request to the media is that you do not use terms like ‘Jain community’ or ‘Jain monks’ in a generalised manner.”

The controversy began on March 31 when Jain monk Acharya Nayan Padmasagar, speaking at a Mahavir Jayanti event in Mumbai, claimed that Maharani Tarabai belonged to the Jain community.

This was followed by another controversy around April 4, when Muni Nileshchandra compared BJP MLA Nitesh Rane’s stature to that of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, triggering outrage across Maharashtra.

Milind Phade of Sakal Jain Samaj noted that Maharani Tarabai is held in “immense respect” within the Jain community. Representatives also confirmed they have approached heads of the four major Jain sects to address the issue and prevent similar incidents.

Akshay Jain said the timing could be a “game plan” to disturb harmony and urged citizens to stay focused on unity. The conference concluded with a call for religious leaders to prioritise social awakening over provocative statements.

(Writer is an intern at Indian Express)