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PUNE: BJP’s alliance partners NCP and Shiv Sena on Monday came down heavily on its Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni for leading a protest and ‘purifying’ the site at Shaniwarwada where a group of Muslim women recently offered namaz.
The NCP, which is led by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, demanded that a police case be filed against her for trying to disturb communal harmony.Members of NCP’s Pune city unit held a protest against Kulkarni outside Shaniwarwada on Monday. NCP spokesperson Rupali Thombare, who led the agitation, said, “There was no need for Kulkarni to protest over some Muslim women offering namaz in Shaniwarwada.”The video was filmed around 1.45pm on Saturday and was shared on social media handles.
It triggered a protest by Kulkarni and members of other rightwing outfits, prompting the police to deploy bandobast around the historic monument. Kulkarni and others performed a ‘purification’ of the historic wada.
‘Purification’ protest: NCP & Sena criticise Medha KulkarniNCP spokesperson Rupali Thombare said, “She [Medha Kulkarni] claims that the sentiments of Hindus were hurt, but I want to tell her that we are also Hindus, and our sentiments were not at all hurt as we believe in inclusivity.
In fact, a case should be filed against her for disturbing the peace and harmony of Pune.”The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s other Mahayuti partner, Shiv Sena, also criticised Kulkarni’s action.Deputy chairperson of the Legislative Council and senior Shiv Sena member Neelam Gorhe said that while Muslim women should have avoided offering prayers at a site which is under Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), nobody should take the law into their hands.“If the rules are violated, there are authorities like the police commissioner or a collector to take action against those people. Some people should not behave as if they are running the entire govt,” Gorhe added.An officer of the Archaeological Survey of India, Ishwar Kawade, who is a resident of Ghorpadi, lodged a complaint with the police.The police have not yet identified the three women who offered prayers at the site.Visitors make online payments at the entrance gates to buy entry tickets and the server is in the ASI’s Delhi office. “Our team will visit Delhi, if needed, to ascertain the identity of these women,” a senior officer said on condition of anonymity.