Ruling Shiv Sena took on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over their protest in Ghantanaad, which has demanded the reopening of temples in Maharashtra, and asked if the opposition party would take the blame for an increase in cases of coronavirus disease ( Covid-19) in the state that follows relaxation.
The Maharashtra unit of the BJP warned the Maharashtra government Vikas Aghadi (MVA) led by Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday that it would forcibly reopen all temples in the state if the government did not give permission to do so.
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The BJP threat came after a one-day andolan ghantanad held in Maharashtra.
As part of the protest, party workers had gathered outside the temples ringing bronze bells, ringing conch shells and singing hymns in various cities and towns in Maharashtra, demanding their reopening.
“People would get peace of mind through the reopening of the temples, but if there is an explosion again in the Covid-19 cases, will the opposition take responsibility for it? Devendra Fadnavis said that people understand how to maintain physical distancing after religious sites are reopened. But you could see how the physical distancing was maintained in the ghantanaad andolan held by the BJP the other day. The opposition should understand the situation instead of making such unrealistic demands, ”an editorial in Sena spokesman Saamana said on Monday.
It was questioned whether the demand to allow the reopening of religious sites had something to do with faith or was just a political ploy.
Prakash Ambedkar, president of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, has also demanded the reopening of the Vitthal-Rukmai temple at Pandharpur in the Solapur district.
The editorial cited that All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM) Member of Parliament (MP) Imtiaz Jaleel had also threatened to “break the locks” on mosques in Aurangabad on September 2, if the state government does. did not allow them to reopen.
Demand for reopening of religious sites has been going on for around a month, but Uddhav Thackeray’s government is acting cautiously to avoid overcrowding as Covid-19 cases have been steadily increasing in Maharashtra.
Fadnavis, the opposition leader in the Maharashtra legislature, had questioned the rationale for keeping temples closed and allowing shopping malls, liquor stores, etc. stay open.
“There are many aspects, including the livelihood of the poor, interrelated with the pilgrimage centers to social aspects, which cannot be overlooked. It is a matter of individual faith and beliefs, which the government should respect and open temples, ”Fadnavis had said on Saturday.
In an apparent response to Fadnavis, the editorial said: “… In addition to the tranquility, the temples must be reopened, as they are a source of livelihood for thousands of families. Temple locks should be opened for your peace of mind, but not for political reasons. Let the people live first, the rest will take care of later. “
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