Pune Fort Row: BJP's Cow Urine 'Purification' After Namaz Sparks Firestorm

This special report focuses on the escalating controversy at Pune's historic Shaniwarwada fort, where BJP workers, led by Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni, conducted a 'purification' ritual after a video of women offering namaz on the premises went viral. A BJP leader questioned the act by stating, 'If you want to offer namaz there, will you be fine with Hindus going to Haji Ali and chanting Hanuman Chalisa?'. The incident, involving the sprinkling of cow urine and dung, was justified by the BJP as a measure to prevent religious encroachment. However, it has been vehemently condemned by opposition parties, including the NCP and Congress, as a deliberate attempt to stoke communal tensions and disrupt the secular fabric. The NCP, a key player in the region, views the move as an interference by Kulkarni in an area considered a stronghold of the Pawar family. Authorities have registered an FIR against the unidentified women but stated that they are monitoring the situation to maintain law and order.