Protests for BTA Repeal: Buddhist monks under the All India Buddhist Forum (AIBF) are protesting at the Mahabodhi Temple demanding the repeal of the Bodh Gaya Temple
Act (BTA), 1949. The Act establishes a management committee for the temple with equal Hindu and Buddhist representation.
Grievance: Buddhist bodies want full control over the Mahabodhi Temple (Mahavihara).
BTA Provisions: The BTA created an eight-member management committee with equal representation from Hindus and Buddhists. The district magistrate, traditionally a Hindu, is the ex-officio chairperson, leading to a perceived Hindu majority in the committee.
Historical Context: Emperor Ashoka built the Mahabodhi Temple in the 3rd century BCE. It remained a Buddhist site until the 13th century, when Buddhism declined. In 1590, a Hindu monk established a mutt, bringing the temple under Hindu control. The BTA (1949) aimed to resolve the dispute between Buddhist and Hindu heads but the fact that the DM was an ex-officio chairman and traditionally from the Hindu community was a source of contention.
Past Protests: Protests and memorandums have been submitted in the past, including a Supreme Court writ petition in 2012 that is yet to be heard.
Government Intervention: In 2013, the rule was amended to allow the ex-officio chairman to be of any faith. In the early 1990s, there was an attempt to pass the Bodh Gaya Mahvihara Bill that would give control to the Buddhist community, but it went into cold storage.
