Youth affairs and fisheries minister K Abhayachandra Jain has put chief minister Siddaramaiah in a spot.

The newly inducted minister, who belongs to the Jain community, wants the chief minister to relieve him of his fisheries portfolio, stating that “he doesn’t want to be head of a ministry which takes him to places where violence is practiced for a living”. Jainism believes in the path of non-violence towards all living beings.

The minister’s demand has also received the backing of the head of Moodbidri Jain Mutt, Charukirti Panditacharyavarya Bhattaraka.

But Siddaramaiah has not acceded to the request of Abhayachandra, asking him to continue till further notice.

On his first visit as minister to his home town Moobidri, located 35 kilometers from Mangalore, Abhayachandra said he may not perform to the best of his abilities with fisheries part of the portfolio.

At Vidhana Soudha, Siddaramaiah, who has had a tough few days over the allotment of portfolios, was visibly disappointed. The chief minister made his displeasure known on Monday, as he curtly asked Abhayachandra to continue in the same ministry till such time he would be able to bifurcate the fisheries portion of his portfolio to some other coastal minister.

A disappointed Abhayachandra, after meeting the chief minister, said, “I requested the CM to take back the fisheries portfolio. Many seers and leaders of our community have asked me to relinquish the ministry. But the chief minister has rejected my request and asked me to continue with my portfolio, at least for now,” Abhayachandra said.

The head of Moodbidri Jain Mutt, said it was wrong on part of the government in asking him to do things which went against his personal beliefs. “I think the people who were involved in allotting the portfolios did not mean to push him into a job which his religion did not approve of,” said the head of Moodbidri Jain Mutt.

S Jitendra Kumar, president, Karnataka Jain Association, Bangalore, hoped to see Abhayachandra divested of the portfolio. “We certainly hope that the chief minister will change the portfolio as the entire Jain community feel that the fisheries portfolio will denigrate his beliefs.”