Hindu Group In India Opposes State's Construction of Buddha Park

In the Indian city of Patna (in the state of Bihar), the state government plans to tear down an old Hindu Shiva temple on the site of the former Bankipore jail in order to build a Buddha Park. Today's Times of India reports that Bharat Sadhu Samaj has decided to launch a statewide protest. It says the plans to build meditation centers and a 200 foot high statute of Buddha on 22 acres of state land is inconsistent with India's Constitution. Section 27 of India's Constitution provides: "No person shall be compelled to pay any taxes, the proceeds of which are specifically appropriated in payment of expenses for the promotion or maintenance of any particular religion or religious denomination."