Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State secretary and MP Ganesh Singh allegedly created a ruckus outside the Shree Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai on New Year's Eve when the temple guards did not allow him entry as the temple was closed.
MP Ganesh Singh allegedly created the ruckus outside the temple in Prabhadevi in the early hours of Friday demanding that the temple be opened for him. Singh reached the gate with three of his supporters at around 12:15 am.
The Shree Siddhivinayak temple usually opens at 4 am for early morning prayers for devotees, but it was set to open at 1:30 am on New Year's Day. Singh though was not prepared to wait.
Ganesh Singh argued with the police personnel posted in the security to open the temple and on being refused, he got agitated and slapped the duty police officer, it is alleged.
Senior police officers and BJP supporters and workers reached there upon receiving the information and brought the situation under control.
An eyewitness said that when the MP was told that the temple was shut, he began throwing his weight around by talking about his position in the BJP. Even when the guards explained that he would have to wait until 1:30 am, he insisted that the gates be opened and argued with the temple security and police for at least 10 minutes and at last slapped a police officer.
Pravin Naik, a temple trustee, said that Singh argued a lot to be allowed inside. "The entire event has been recorded on the police CCTV cameras outside the temple," Naik added. Though no case has been registered in this regard.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Ajay Singh has demanded stern action against him for misbehaving with security personnel.