Raj Thackeray’s first comment on Trimbakeshwar Dargah controversy is in favor of Muslim devotees

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray has urged that it is not right to break the age-old tradition of Muslims offering incense at the famous Trimbakeshwar temple here on Saturday. Thackeray, former chief minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav’s cousin, said, “It is a hundred years old practice… It is not right to break it, traditions should not be stopped…” Thackeray. Along with this, he issued a warning that “outsiders should not interfere” and “it is for the local townspeople to decide in this matter”.

“Let the local villagers decide… Does anyone want riots over this? When things go wrong, we must speak up,” he said, on a two-day visit to the town. Criticizing the incident of stopping some Muslims attending the annual Urs of Hazrat Peer Syed Gulab Shahwali Baba Dargah on the night of May 13-14 from offering incense sticks at the temple entrance, Thackeray said such an age-old ritual should not happen. has been interrupted or terminated and the matter should be resolved through discussion.

He wondered if some people were merely following old traditions and “is our (Hindu) religion so weak that it would matter if someone came there then what is the problem.” Thackeray also pointed fingers at the social media for exaggerating such things, spreading misinformation and said that the police should ensure that there is no violence over such things.

“There are many temples and mosques or dargahs where Hindus and Muslims have been visiting for ages… I have visited many mosques and many of our Muslim brothers also visit temples… People live in mixed areas and grow up But there haven’t been any problems…” he said. However, he said that one should speak up when things are going wrong and cited his campaign against loudspeakers in mosques over the past two years, or an alleged illegal island in the Arabian Sea off the Mahim Dargah (Mumbai), which March was demolished in

On Friday, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole, along with working president MA Naseem Khan and others, met Additional Director General of Police Sanjay Saxena and demanded action against those making “provocative, hate speeches” as directed by the Supreme Court. On 17 May, a meeting of villagers with all political parties and trustees of Trimbakeshwar Temple and Dargah voted for peace in the area, which was appreciated by various opposition parties. Soon after alleged clashes broke out following the incident of alleged ‘encroachment’ at the temple in Trimbakeshwar, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered an SIT probe into the matter.