In yet another controversial remark that has the potential to stir a fresh controversy over women's entry into Shani temple, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Babulal Gaur on Friday said that they should first worship at home.
“leave it, women can worship at home,” he said when his response was sought on the ongoing debate whether women should be allowed into the Shani temple. Around 400 women in Shani Shingnapur recently attempted to break decades old tradition, prohibiting women from entering the sanctum sanctorum of the temple - an issue that brought a group of activists at loggerheads with the locals.
Shani Shingnapur, a village located about 330 km northeast of Mumbai, is famous for its Shani temple.
The temple drew attention after a young woman defied the common practice and performed ‘abhishek’ to lord Shani on November 27 last year.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis met the women activists, who were stopped from entering the temple.
Reacting to the statement of Gaur, Congress spokesperson Deepti Singh said that a few leaders in the BJP do not have sensible thoughts towards the fair sex and thus they come out with such baseless statements. She said that the Congress would stage protest against Gaur.
Ironically, Gaur has been in the habit of giving controversial statements. Time and again Congress leaders too protested against him, but to no avail.
Gaur is a former Chief Minister of the State and senior-most Minister in Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's Cabinet.