By IANS
Patna : Buddhist monks have demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the damage caused to the famed Bodhi tree of Gaya, accusing the Bihar government of suppressing the fact that a branch of the holy tree was chopped off.
"Only a CBI probe into the cutting off of a branch of the Bodhi tree will help dispel doubts among Buddhists worldwide that the state government is sincere about coming clean on the controversy," said Bhadant Anand, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Bhikkhu Mahasangh (All India Monks Association).
Anand's demand for a CBI probe assumes significance as a Buddhist monk Saturday filed a criminal complaint against top officials of the Bodh Gaya temple for allegedly chopping off a branch of the Bodhi tree, considered sacred to millions the world over as it is believed that Lord Buddha had attained enlightenment under it about 2,550 years ago.
Arup Brahmachari, a monk in his 30s, filed a criminal complaint against officials of the Bodh Gaya Temple Management Committee in the court of the chief judicial magistrate in Gaya.
Anand questioned the delay in obtaining the test report on whether a branch of the Bodhi tree was cut off or not. "It appears that the state government is delaying the matter and suppressing facts," he said.
About a year ago, it was widely reported that some miscreants had cut off a branch of the Bodhi tree. The Nitish Kumar-led government was quick in issuing a denial.
However, after an outcry over the incident worldwide, the state government got samples collected from the "cut mark" area of the tree and sent it to a Pune-based forest laboratory to ascertain the truth. The laboratory report is yet to be made public.
"Why was the report delayed when the state government then claimed that it would be available within a fortnight. There is something fishy about it," said Anand.
"A CBI probe into the case will expose the truth," he told IANS.
Brahamchari has also provided evidence, including eight photographs, in support of his complaint.
"My complaint was supported by an affidavit by Deepak Malakar, a gardener of the temple, who used to look after the Bodhi tree," Brahmachari said.
In his affidavit, Malakar claimed that he cut off a branch of the tree on July 10, 2006, following the order of Bahadant Bodhipal, the temple chief priest, and carried it to his residence.
Brahmachari has accused top temple officials, including the ex-officio chairman, secretary Kalicharan Yadav, chief priest Bahadant Bodhipal and the Gaya district magistrate of trying to tamper with Malakar's affidavit.
Brahamchari, who has been spearheading a campaign against the mushrooming of fake NGOs in Bodh Gaya, said police initially refused to register his complaint when he went to the police station last week.
The Bodhi tree behind the Mahabodhi temple, which has grown from the original banyan tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment, saw new leaves after four years last year.
Last month IANS reported that the tree was threatened by an unknown disease. Hundreds of fresh leaves of the holy tree are falling off daily.
An official of the Mahabodhi temple, which the Unesco has declared a World Heritage Site, said the Bodhi tree is the sixth regeneration of the original banyan tree.