on Maha police plea, AIMIM MP calls off temple re-opening plan

Aurangabad (Maharashtra), Sep 1 After hours of tension since morning, Aurangabad relaxed after AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel on Tuesday afternoon called off his agitation to re-open places of worship closed during the lockdown.

Last week, Jaleel had announced the agitation, starting with reopening a temple on Tuesday followed by a mosque on Wednesday.

Irked by this, scores of Shiv Sena activists led by local MLA Ambadas E. Danve came into an eyeball-to-eyeball position with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen workers as Jaleel planned to begin with the well-known Khadkeshwar Temple this afternoon.

With security forces deployed in full swing in the area, the police had a word with Jaleel on a potential law and order situation if he went ahead with the agitation, especially in view of the ruling Shiv Sena's staunch opposition.

Following the plea, Jaleel backtracked and withdrew his agitation, making the townsfolk breathed easy, especially since the 'visarjan' (immersion) of thousands of Lord Ganesh idols will begin at the end of the 10-day Ganeshotsav on Tuesday.

Jaleel has been demanding that the state government should immediately reopen all places of worship like temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras, etc to enable devotees visit and offer prayers.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has, however, made it clear that the state government will take a decision at the opportune time, since the Covid-19 restrictions are still not eased for religious places.

( With inputs from IANS )