After Shani Shinganapur, activist Trupti Desai plans to storm inside other temples too
After Shani Shinganapur, activist and Bhumata Ranragini Brigade founder Trupti Desai plans to continue fighting for women’s right to enter all temples. In the process, she wants to assert the Bombay High Court’s ruling that entry to temples was a fundamental right of women.
Last Wednesday, Trupti was forced into a scuffle inside the famous Mahalaxmi temple in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. All because she was wearing a salwar-khameez and not a sari-the prescribed dress code to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, reported Zee News.
Trupti who has been a campaigner for women’s entry into temples, said that some men attacked her inside the temple. “They were well prepared. They pulled my hair, abused me and kicked me in the stomach. A priest tried to strangle me,” the Bhumata Ranragini Brigade’s founder told The Times Of India.
Earlier, Trupti had campaigned for women’s entry inside Shani Shinganapur. “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,” Trupti had told The Hindu
Trupti was discharged from a local hospital on Thursday where she was admitted for dehydration and oxygen deficiency after she fainted in the temple. Despite police presence, she claimed, no police tried to save her. “Police just looked on. I want to ask CM Devendra Fadnavis what kind of protection women have after the HC struck down discrimination in temples,” Trupti said.
The activist added that the Maharashtra CM should look into the matter and take action against this. Trupti and other activists had organised a ‘Vijay’ rally on Wednesday afternoon to mark the “victory” for the cause of women who were recently allowed to enter the inner sanctum of another temple in a major departure from a long-standing tradition.
Trupti and her Brigade were detained by the police during the day and released in the evening. Trupti entered the Mahalaxmi temple in the night, after which the scuffle followed.
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