Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey has come under scrutiny for his "VIP darshan" at the Shri Kshetra Bhimashankar Temple in Pune.
The temple, which is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, has been closed to devotees for the past two and a half months due to ongoing construction work. However, despite being closed, Dubey, along with his wife, arrived by helicopter and was granted darshan. Videos and pictures of the same have gone viral on social media, triggering anger among local devotees.
Many devotees said that they travel long distances, often on foot or by bicycle, and are being turned away without darshan. In this situation, the VIP treatment given to the MP from Godda in Jharkhand reeks of discrimination. Several devotees have questioned why strict rules are applied to the public while exceptions are allegedly made for politicians.
Meanwhile, the Pune district administration said that no official permission had been sought or granted for the visit. Officials added that they are examining how Dubey was allowed inside the temple despite the closure.
The Pune District Collector said that the administration would take strict action against those found responsible for facilitating unauthorised access to the temple.
