Nashik: In an incident of people of different religions attempting to "forcibly" enter inside Trimbakeshwar Temple, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray said that the people of Nashik must take a decision, PTI reported.
"The issue at Trimbakeshwar is of the local residents, and they must take a decision. Outsiders must not intervene. If a tradition is on for years, then it is not right to stop it. Is our religion so weak that it will lose its purity and divinity if someone from another religion enters a temple," Thackeray said on Saturday.
In the incident, the people of other religions, associated with a dargah next to the temple, tried to enter the Hindu shrine to offer incense as part of a tradition.
A First Information Report was registered on the complaint of temple authorities against four persons under Indian Penal Code section 295 (injuring or defiling a place of worship with intent to insult a religion), while the Maharashtra government set up a special investigation team to probe the matter.
"There are many temples and mosques in the country where there is mutual understanding among people (of different faiths). (In Mumbai), constables from Mahim police station offer 'chaddar' at Mahim Dargah. On the other hand, in some of our temples, only people of a particular caste are allowed," Thackeray said.
Stating that he visits mosques and dargahs, Thackeray said issues like loudspeakers on mosques and unauthorised dargahs coming up along the coast and in historical forts must be tackled rather than creating such problems that cause riots.
"Attacking things which are wrong is right. However, doing anything intentionally (to create discord) is not right. Riots do not take place where Marathi Muslims live. There are good relations, mutual understanding among Hindus and Muslims, and people should not disturb it," he claimed.
Nashik police said that a group of people arrived at the entrance of Trimbakeshwar Temple on the night of May 13 seeking permission to perform a ritual of offering 'dhoop' (incense) to the deity from the entrance steps as per a decades-old tradition. But the temple authorities stopped them, and it led to a row.
After the development, a devotee at the nearby Gulab Shah Wali Dargah said, in view of the controversy, that the tradition of offering incense will not continue from next year.