Bid to disrupt Jains’ sacred practices will invite action: CM

Guwahati: Amid vehement protests against a religious procession led by nude Jain monks in Assam's Jorhat on Wednesday, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday categorically stated that any endeavour to impede the community's devout practices would be addressed with resolute action.
The two Jain monks, who were unclothed as per their religious customs, came from Dimapur in Nagaland in a religious procession to the Marwari Thakurbari campus in Jorhat town, prompting vehement reactions from a group of inhabitants of the upper Assam town on Thursday. Eight persons were arrested in front of the DC's office and were released on bail on Friday afternoon.
Sarma wrote on X, "The Jain religion, with its revered Param Pujaniya Munis, embodies ahimsa, sacrifice, and selfless devotion. Any attempt to disrupt their sacred practices will be met with firm and decisive action. Assam stands resolute in upholding religious tolerance and will continue to carry forward the message of compassion and humanity with unwavering determination."
On Friday morning, Ulfa (I) sent out an email registering its protest against the Jain monks' religious procession. It said, "The traditional Assamese people's art and culture, religious customs, and practices are gloriously distinct from those of other Indians. A group with anti-Assamese sentiments has been observed making desperate attempts to introduce the naked religious culture of Indians into Assamese society to bridge this religious divide. The indigenous Assamese people cannot accept this under any circumstances."