Women activists stopped from entering inner sanctum at Shani Shinganapur temple

AHMEDNAGAR: A day after Bombay high court held that entry to temples was a fundamental right of women, scores of women activists on Saturday made a bid to storm the inner sanctum of Shani Shinganapur temple in Maharashtra to break the ban but they were stopped by the villagers.

Upset at her attempt being foiled, Trupti Desai, who led the Bhumata Ranragini Brigade, said she would file an FIR against chief minister Devendra Fadnavis if he fails to honour the Bombay high court order facilitating entry of females to places of worship.

Vowing to intensify the campaign for gender justice after the tense faceoff, Desai said a police complaint would be also filed against those who prevented the activists from entering the core area of the shrine in Ahmednagar district.

The high court had on Friday held that entry to temples was a fundamental right of women and it was the State's fundamental duty to protect it.

On reaching the temple, Desai and her followers tried to scale the sacred platform but members of the local resistance group and temple officials pushed them away.

The villagers had laid a siege around the sacred area to stop the activists from storming the site.

Police then intervened, took the activists to a spot 100 metres away from the platform and threw a protective ring around them.

On being denied entry to the core area, Desai and her associates sat on a dharna protesting the failure of the authorities to uphold the court order.

Pankaj Deshmukh, Additional SP, said law and order will be maintained at the temple premises and neighbouring areas.

Police had been deployed in strength by the district authorities fearing a show-down between the campaigners and the local resisters, who had gathered in large numbers around the temple premises.

"If chief minister Devendra Fadnavis does not order police to allow us to worship at the restricted Shani platform area inside the temple in keeping with the HC order, I will file an FIR against him for violating it (the ruling)", she told reporters.

Around 25 activists led by Desai proceeded to the temple this morning in 2-3 small vehicles from Pune.

"After the high court itself ruled in womens' favour, we are determined to reach the sacred chauthara(platform) of the temple and we are sure that police will not restrict us en route," Desai said before leaving Pune.

On being told that if a temple does not allow any person, irrespective of gender, inside the sanctum sanctorum, then this Act (Maharashtra Hindu Place of Worship (Entry Authorisation) Act 1956) and its provisions will not be of any help, Desai said, "In case of Shani Shinganapur, the temple trust used to allow men at 'chauthara' and only after our agitation started, they had put restrictions on males. So we should not be restricted."

Desai also urged the chief minister to issue directives to the local administration and police to cooperate with them to go inside the temple peacefully and allow them to worship Lord Shani, whose idol is placed at the 'chauthara'.

The shrine is dedicated to Lord Shani, who personifies the planet Saturn in Hindu belief. Women devotees are not permitted on the platform as per centuries-old tradition followed at the shrine, which has no walls or a roof.