Mumbai: Traditionally, the Ashadi pooja at the Pandharpur temple is performed by the Chief Minister, and the honour for Kartiki pooja goes to the Deputy Chief Minister. However, due to the unique situation of having two Deputy Chief Ministers (DCMs) this year, the Pandharpur temple committee is still confused about whom to invite for the Kartiki pooja. While the committee met today to discuss this issue, Maratha activists protested, shouting slogans against inviting either of the DCMs and warning that they won't be allowed to enter Pandharpur.
The activists also voiced slogans in favour of prioritising reservation first and conducting the pooja afterwards. They also stated that none of the MLAs or MPs would be allowed in Pandharpur. It may be recalled that Maratha activists had prevented the then CM Devendra Fadnavis from coming to Pandharpur in 2018 for Ashadi pooja. They have taken a similar stance this year. The committee, meanwhile, stated that the state government would make the final decision in this regard.
