Mumbai/Pune: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday clarified that authorities will take action against anyone found guilty of violating the law after an FIR was registered against three unidentified women for offering namaz in the premises of Shaniwar Wada in Pune.
The Chief Minister said, "We will take action against anyone who does anything without permission." This comes after a case was registered against three unidentified women after a video showing them offering namaz on the premises of Pune's historic Shaniwar Wada went viral on social media, sparking protests by BJP MP Medha Kulkarni and members of other organisations.
According to the Pune City Police, the FIR has been filed under provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Rules, 1959, for allegedly violating restrictions applicable to protected monuments.
The incident reportedly took place around 1:45 pm on Saturday, following which an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officer lodged a formal complaint to Pune City Police.
Earlier today, Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC backed the action and said, "An FIR has been registered under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Rules 1959, because if anyone violates restrictions that apply to a protected monument, action needs to be taken. This FIR was raised on the issue of certain sections choosing to be in the ASI-dominant spaces of monuments." She added that there was no need to make the issue about Hindu versus Muslim but about what remains permissible under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
"Whether it's Shaniwar Wada or any place of religious belief, there needs to be a place where one can worship, and when one doesn't. It is like saying that we want to go to Haji Ali Dargah and recite the Hanuman Chalisa. Nobody does it because we respect each other's religious beliefs. Whether it's Hindus or Muslims, we have always coexisted. So why make this into a controversy of Hindu versus Muslim? This is about what is permissible under the Archaeological Survey of India," Shaina NC said.
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