Trimbakeshwar Temple row: Decision must be left to locals, says MNS

The village committee of Trimbakeshwar should be entrusted with the issue related to temple entry, the MNS has said urging that outsiders shouldn’t interfere in the issue.

Communal tensions soared in the temple town of Trimbakeshwar last week when a group of Muslim youth tried to forcibly enter the temple, one of the 12 Jyotrilingas. It was later revealed that they were part of the ‘sandal’ procession of a local ‘Urus’ and wanted to light incense sticks inside the temple.

It was the tradition that the incense sticks were lit outside the temple during the ‘sandal’ procession. However, this time it led to communal tension as few young men tried to enter the temple where non-Hindus are not allowed. The issue escalated after several leaders came to the temple town and started giving statements on how and what should be done.

'Issue between villages and temple trust'

“The issue is between the villagers and the temple trust. Let them resolve it. There is no point in outsiders going there and starting agitation,” MNS chief Raj Thackeray said at a press conference in Nashik.

“I do agree that the wrong things should be opposed. But, I see no point in creating mountain out of a molehill,” he added.

He also asked whether Hinduism is so weak that it will lose its sanctity if someone from another religion enters a temple.

Thackeray also trained guns on the Muslims coming from other states. “The history of Maharashtra shows that there have been no riots in the areas where Marathi Muslims have been living,” he said, indicating that Muslims coming from other states are inciting riots in the state.