Trinamool Congress (TMC) Saturday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the demolition of a 90-year-old Digambar Jain temple in Mumbai’s Vile Parle by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

In a post on X, the party questioned the BJP’s commitment to secularism and India's constitutional ethos.

"Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, Persian, Muslim, Christian... This is the soul of our Republic," read the TMC post.

"How do @BJP4India leaders place their hands on their hearts and sing the National Anthem that celebrates India's unity in diversity, while Jain temples are razed to the ground under their watch?"

The party accused the BJP of “devotion to hatred” and called the current climate in the country “New India, where power is pursued at the cost of harmony.”

Thousands from the Jain community across Mumbai gathered in Vile Parle and protested the demolition of the historic temple.

Holding banners that read "We are Jain, we will not stop; we will not give up," the protesters marched from the temple site to the BMC's K/East ward office.

Several political leaders including Maharashtra’s minister of skill development Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Vile Parle MLA Parag Alavani, MP Varsha Gaikwad, and Ghatkopar MLA Parag Shah joined the rally.

According to members of the Jain community, BMC officials arrived with JCB machines and began the demolition, allegedly mishandling sacred books, idols, and religious objects in the process.

The community has demanded that the temple be reconstructed at the same location, citing its spiritual and historical significance.

Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav Friday condemned the incident, accusing BJP governments of systematically targeting the Jain community.

“In today's times, being a minority in the country is becoming a curse,” Yadav wrote on X. “The fear, insecurity, and uncertainty currently prevailing among the Jain community is deeply concerning and has drawn worldwide attention and condemnation.”

Yadav cited a series of recent incidents that he claimed reflect an alarming trend, including the violent attack on Jain monks in Singoli, Madhya Pradesh, and a controversial audio clip from Jabalpur allegedly featuring derogatory remarks against the Jain community by BJP members.

“Why is it that wherever there is a BJP government, such incidents targeting Jain temples, pilgrimage sites, and institutions occur?” he asked.

With political outrage building across party lines, the BMC has yet to issue a detailed explanation for the demolition.

The Jain community has vowed to continue its protest until the temple is rebuilt.