A case has been registered against BJP MLA from Osmanabad Sujitsingh Thakur for violating the lockdown norms. The BJP leader had visited the temple at Pandharpur to pray at the temple of Lord Vithal and Rukmini in Solapur district of Maharashtra.
Thakur had visited the temple on April 4 along with few people and had himself photographed. These pictures, accessed by India Today TV, show at least six people along with a child in the temple premises. This is when all the temples in the state have been closed down to avoid crowding.
The temple priests continue to perform daily rituals and the prayers are broadcast online.
BJP MLA Sujitsingh Thakur has been booked under various sections of the IPC, Disaster Management Act and Epidemic Act for violating the lockdown.
“There are four yatras that are very important in Maharashtra. One of them is the Chaitya yatra at Pandharpur which is very important,” says Thakur while elaborating that he had received a call from the temple authorities asking him to come over and perform the rituals.
“It can be seen in the CCTV footage that there was no crowding at the temple. There were very few people and I had received a call from the temple trustees two days before that to come. After that invitation-only I had gone,” says Thakur. He sees nothing wrong in going to the temple during the lockdown and insists that there has not been any violation.
“The subdivisional officer and executive officer of the temple have sent the report to the government stating that there was no crowding. Also, I am a trustee of the temple so I can go to the temple. This case has been registered only under the pressure of some local people there,” insists Thakur.
