Ramdas Athawale meets Nitish Kumar after supporting Buddhists on Mahabodhi issue

Patna

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday to discuss the issue of Buddhists not having full control over the trust managing the Mahabodhi Temple Complex. Athawale, leader of the Republican Party of India, visited the site in Bodh Gaya, home to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed temple, a day before his meeting with Kumar.

He shared several posts on X, in Marathi, expressing support for the demand to abolish the Mahabodhi Temple Act, which mandates equal representation from both Hindu and Buddhist communities, along with the district magistrate of Gaya as the ex-officio chairperson. Athawale, the Minister of State for Social Justice and

Empowerment, met with Buddhist monks leading the protests and pledged his support for their cause to liberate the Mahabodhi Temple trust. The temple marks the spot where Buddha is believed to have achieved enlightenment over 2,500 years ago.