Maharashtra CM's son enters Ujjain Mahakal temple's sanctum sanctorum despite ban; triggers row
Ujjain/Mumbai, Oct 18: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's MP son Shrikant Shinde has courted controversy after he was allowed entry into the sanctum sanctorum of the Mahakaleshwar temple in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain despite a ban, prompting the authorities to order a probe.
Shinde, who represents Kalyan Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra's Thane district, entered the 'garbha griha' (sanctum sanctorum) along with his wife and two others to worship the deity on Thursday evening, temple sources said.
A controversy erupted after a video of the incident went viral as entry of devotees into the sanctum sanctorum has been banned for nearly a year now, they said.
The opposition Congress took strong objection to the incident, saying VIPs were allowed entry into the sanctum sanctorum despite a ban while common citizens have to wait in queues for hours for 'darshan' of the deity.
Hitting back, Shrikant Shinde said the opposition has an allergy to going to temples.
"They have an allergy even if we go to the temple. They don't take darshan and stop others from doing so," Shinde told reporters in Mumbai.
Expressing displeasure over the episode, Congress MLA Mahesh Parmar on Friday said, "While a common devotee has to stand in long queues and wait for hours for the darshan of Lord Mahakaleshwar, the VIPs were allowed to enter the garbha griha despite a ban on entering it."
"This is against rules and we strongly oppose it," he told reporters.
Chairman of the temple committee and Ujjain district collector Neeraj Kumar Singh said, "Nobody is allowed to enter the garbha griha. This (Shinde's) is an unauthorised entry and I have directed the temple administrator to take immediate action in this matter."
Administrator of the temple, Ganesh Dhakad, said a probe has been ordered and action will be taken against the inspector responsible for overseeing entry and other aspects of the sanctum sanctorum and others in this matter.
The Mahakaleshwar temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is one of the 12 'jyotirlinga' temples in the country and attracts a large number of devotees throughout the year.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Low-intensity explosion outside Chandigarh bar-cum-lounge
Chandigarh (PTI): A low-intensity explosion occurred outside a bar-cum-lounge in the Sector 26 area of Chandigarh early on Tuesday, police said.
The explosion shattered the establishment's glass windows. No casualties were reported, they said.
CCTV camera footage from the area purported to show an unidentified person throwing something towards the bar-cum-lounge and a cloud of smoke then engulfing the place.
The police said they received a call regarding a "loud sound" from the area around 3:30 am. After inspecting the spot, the police team recovered jute rope pieces.
A team from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory collected the samples, the police said and added an investigation was underway.
