Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj was a national saint. “I will always stand with whatever work was started with the inspiration of Acharya Shri,” he added. He was speaking at Vinyanjali programme held in memory of Acharya Vidyasagar Sagar Maharaj at Jawahar Chowk on Sunday.
It was organised by Digambar Jain Panchayat Committee Trust and Sakal Digambar Jain Samaj. “It is our good fortune that we were able to meet him. Acharya Shri's sacrifice and penance were amazing,” Chouhan said. While narrating an old memoir related to Acharya Vidhyasagar, he said “When Acharya Vidyasagar Maharaj decided to install the idol of Bade Baba in Kundalpur, I had become Chief Minister for the first time and the court had ruled that this could not happen.
The administration was ready to stop it. Then I said, whatever happens, Vidyasagar Maharaj has come, the statue will be installed.” He further said, “I was told that the government would fall. I had said that I don't care if the government falls but the idol of Bade Baba will be installed only in the divine and grand temple built in Kundalpur.” Other functions were also organised. The meeting started at Vidya Sagar Auditorium (Jawahar Chowk) of Shri Parshvanath Digambar Jain Temple at 1 pm.
Before this, a rally was taken out, which started from Jahangirabad and ended at the auditorium. Panchayat Committee Trust President Manoj Banga, Minister Manoj RM said event was organised by Panchayat Committee Trust and Sakal Jain Samiti Sakal Jain Samaj. //Pragya writes to PM Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur said she wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to confer Bharat Ratna award on Acharya Vidhyasagar. Earlier, BJP leader Alok Sharma demanded to give Bharat Ratna to him and to declare February 18 as Saint's Day.