Congress Backs Women’s Agitation to Lift Temple Entry Ban

Congress General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi backed the women’s agitation for lifting of centuries old ban. (Photo: The Quint)

Congress today backed the agitation by a woman’s organisation in Maharashtra for lifting of the centuries-old ban on female devotees entering the sacred platform at Shani Shinganpur temple in Ahmednagar district.

<p> I commend the move of one of the women’s organisations of Maharashtra asserting their right of worship at Shani Shingnapur. Women have got equal rights in the field of religion and philosophy in our country for centuries. Doors of knowledge and religion should be open to everyone without any discrimination</p>

Janardan Dwivedi, General Secretary, Congress

He said that it is the “pious duty” of whole society to support such a move.

His statement came a day after around 400 women activists made an attempt to defy the ban on female devotees entering the sacred platform at Shani Shingnapur which was foiled by police as they were stopped at a village, 70 km from the shrine.

The activists, who tried to head to the popular temple defying prohibitory orders to worship the deity, were detained by police at Supa village for a few hours and released in the evening and sent back to Pune in buses.