Will be forced to reopen temples if state govt does not lift curbs: Maharashtra BJP

The former chief minister said, “We don’t understand the discriminatory policy. The government has allowed liquor shops, bars to function…but they cite Covid-19 pandemic when we demand reopening of temples.”

Fadnavis said temple-reopening was not just a matter of faith or religion but also of livelihood as “lakhs of poor people survive by selling flowers, incense sticks, sweets and fruits outside the temples”.

State BJP president Chandrakant Patil said, “We are firm in our stand. If the state government does not take a decision to reopen temples, we will be forced to open them ourselves.”

He said the state government should at least set a specific date by which it would allow the temples to reopen. Instead of keeping the temples closed, the state government should open them and ensure strict Covid-19 guidelines such as wearing of masks or allowing only those individuals who have had both doses of the vaccine to enter the premises, he added.