Lord Mahavir was a great environmentalist: Devendra Fadnavis

NAGPUR: Lord Mahavir was a great environmentalist and to conserve the environment he travelled across the country for over 42 years, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said today.

Speaking on the occasion of ' Mahavir Jayanti' at a function at Chitnis Park stadium here, he said Lord Mahavir has taught us to control our speech and mind.

"Instead of fighting with our own, we should fight our evil qualities," he said quoting Lord Mahavir.

The Chief Minister also said the state government has taken the initiative of celebrating 'Mangitungi Mahahotsav' in Nashik district and has sanctioned Rs 100 crore for the purpose. Of this, Rs 40 crore has already been spent.

For the first time such a celebration is being organised by the Maharashtra government, he added.

Fadnavis lauded the contribution of the Jain community saying it "had a major share in overall economy of the country".