Amid protests, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav has asked the state to block all eco-tourism activities in the Shri Sameed Shikharji area.
The Jain community had been protesting against the Jharkhand government's tourism policy to develop Shri Sammed Shikharji, in Parasnath hills, as a tourist place. After meeting the protesters, Bhupendra Yadav tweeted that they were assured all support.
"Met Jain community members who have been urging to protect the sanctity of Sammed Shikhar. Assured them that PM Shri @narendramodiji's government is committed to preserving and protecting the rights of Jain community over all their religious sites, including Sammed Shikhar," tweeted Bhupendra Yadav.
According to reports, the Ministry had put an immediate stay on implementing Clause 3 of the Eco-sensitive zone notification, which includes tourism and eco-tourism activities.
Yadav had said that Sammed Shikhar falls under the eco-sensitive zone of Parasnath Wildlife Sanctuary and Topchanchi wildlife sanctuary.
With the government taking the decision and protests going on, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren intervened and urged the Centre to take an "appropriate decision" in its August 2019 notification.
Soren had also written to Union Environment Minister Yadav regarding the Shikharji.
Protests were held in different parts of the country against the Jharkhand government's decision. The protesters claimed that declaring the mandir a tourist place would disrupt the sanctity of the place.
Recently, a Jain saint, who was sitting on an indefinite hunger strike against the government's decision, passed away.
