Tue Apr 01 13:49:24 UTC 2025: **Kalaburagi Buddhists Protest Bodh Gaya Temple Administration**

KALABURAGI, April 1, 2025 – Members of the Kalaburagi unit of the Bauddha Upasak/Upasakiyara Sangha staged a protest march on Tuesday, expressing solidarity with Buddhist monks in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, who are undertaking an indefinite hunger strike. The monks are demanding reforms in the Mahabodhi Temple’s administration and for the management of the Mahabodhi Mahavihara to be entrusted to Buddhists.

The protesters, including monks from Kalaburagi and Bidar districts, marched from Jagat Circle to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. They highlighted the current composition of the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee (BTMC), established by the 1949 BTMC Act, which consists of only four Buddhists among nine members. They are calling for the repeal of this Act, citing the imbalance in representation.

A memorandum was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, outlining the protesters’ demands. The hunger strike in Bodh Gaya began on February 12th. Several activists participated in the Kalaburagi protest, including Arjun Bhadre, H. Bodhankar, Mareppa Halli, Suresh Kanekar, Ambaraya Ashtagi, Prakash Auradkar, and Laxmiknt Hubbali.

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