'Farmer couple' performs traditional puja of Lord Vitthal in Pandharpur

Pandharpur, Maharashtra: As state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday skipped the annual puja at the Lord Vitthal Temple in Pandharpur town, a farmer couple from Hingoli district in Marathwada region performed the traditional puja along with senior state cabinet ministers and Solapur district guardian minister Vijay Deshmukh in the temple's sanctum sanctorum.

In view of the protest threats by Maratha organisations, the CM cancelled his visit. Instead of going to Pandharpur, Mr Fadnavis performed rituals at his home, at 'Varsha' in Mumbai. He had been performing the puja at the temple for last three years.

Meanwhile, talking to media persons on Sunday, he said he feared for the lives of nearly ten lakh people expected to be at the temple town in Solapur today on the occasion of 'Ashadhi Ekadashi' so cancelled his visit.

If throwing stones at him can get the reservation for the Maratha community, he was ready for it and that he took the decision of not offering prayers at the temple to avoid any law and order problem. ''Such a move was a shame for a "progressive" state like Maharashtra'', he said.

He also said that only the court can take a decision on the issue of grant of reservation to the Maratha community.