A harsh exchange has erupted between Maharashtra Governor Koshyari and CM Uddhav Thackeray over the reopening of places of worship in the state amid the coronavirus battle. Maharashtra Governor Koshyari has sent a sarcasm-filled letter, questioning Thackeray’s newfound ‘Secularism’ as he is constantly denying the worship places re-opening requests from several political parties including BJP and MNS.
Governor wrote to CM Thackeray “requesting him to announce forthwith” the reopening of places of worship with Covid precautions.
Governor Koshyari added that “You have been a strong votary of Hindutva. You had publicly espoused your devotion for Lord Rama by visiting Ayodhya after taking charge as Chief Minister. You had visited the Vitthal Rukmini Mandir in Pandharpur and performed the puja on Ashadhi Ekadashi”.
“I wonder if you are receiving any divine premonition to keep postponing the reopening of places of worship time and again or have you turned ‘secular’ yourselves, a term you hated?”
He further added and reminded that places of worship have been reopened in Delhi and other metro cities few months back and there have not been reports of a surge in Covid-19 cases from any of these places.
This is important to note that places of worship provide job and earning opportunities to millions of people in Maharashtra, and all such jobs and works have been vanished since the lockdown has been imposed in Maharashtra. Multiple political parties and religious groups have already made several requests to Maharashtra CM in past but there has been no action so far.
