'Darshan' in-charge fired after Shinde's son enters temple's sanctum sanctorum
The Mahakaleshwar temple administration in Ujjain has dismissed Vinod Chouksey, who was in charge of managing darshan arrangements, following a row over the entry of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's son inside the temple's sanctum sanctorum. The temple administration has also served show-cause notices to three security personnel and other officials involved in the incident.
Temple administration responds to unauthorized entry incident
Temple administrator Ganesh Dhakad confirmed that "strict directives have been issued to prevent such incidents in the future." Echoing his statement, Ujjain district collector and temple committee chairman Neeraj Kumar Singh clarified that no permission had been granted for Shrikant Shinde's entry. Singh emphasized that "nobody is allowed to enter the garbha griha," labeling the incident as unauthorized.
Opposition criticizes government, Shinde responds to allegations
The incident had drawn flak from the opposition Congress, which slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government for favoring VIPs. Congress MLA Mahesh Parmar said, "While common devotees wait for hours, VIPs are allowed entry despite restrictions." Defending the allegations, Shrikant said, "They (opposition) have an allergy even if we go to the temple. They don't take darshan and stop others too."
Priests distance themselves from controversy
Meanwhile, priests at the Mahakaleshwar temple have washed their hands off the controversy, saying it is not their job to keep a check on who enters the sanctum sanctorum. Pradeep Pujari, a non-government member of the temple management committee, told TOI that priests work under regulations and can't take pilgrims inside on their own. The Mahakaleshwar temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is one of the 12 jyotirlinga temples in the country and draws hundreds of devotees everyday.
