Prakash Ambedkar, President of Vanchit Bahujana Aghadi (VBA), former Member of Parliament (MP) and grandson of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar led a protest in Pandharpur in demand to reopen the temples in Maharashtra.
Ambedkar participated in the agitation by the Vishva Warkari Sanghatna which has demanded to reopen the temple of Pandharpur. The Sanghatna earlier declared that it will stage an agitation even if lockdown is imposed. Talking to ABP, Ambedkar said, “We are here to ‘break the rules’. People are being requested to follow the rules of social distancing but they are not listening. People wants the government in the state to reopen the temple.”
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena tossed an attack on BJP for its demand to re-open temples in the state in its mouthpiece Samana. The article embattled former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis stating that he claims people know how to maintain social distancing at religious place but he himself forgot how social distancing rules were flouted in its own Ghanta Naad Andolan.
The central government had issued guidelines to reopen religious places in the first Unlock phase in June. While the Maharashtra government has given permission for shops, salons and malls to open with some precautionary measures, religious places continue to remain close in the state.
