Raut lands CM Uddhav in soup; Warkari community threatens stir over insult to Lord Vitthal

On Thursday, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s controversial remarks landed Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in trouble. As per sources, the Warkari community has accused Raut of allegedly insulting Lord Vitthal and demanded an apology from him within three days. According to members of this community, they would start a massive protest across Maharashtra if Raut failed to tender an apology and would not allow Uddhav Thackeray to enter Pandharpur.  

Read: 'If PM Modi Is Lord Ram, Shah Is Hanuman': Shivraj Singh Chouhan Makes Divine Comparison

Lord Vitthal is considered as a manifestation of Lord Vishnu. In a recent programme where state Housing Minister Jitendra Awhad was present, Raut stated that there were two Lord Vitthals in Maharashtra- NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray. The Warkari community was incensed at this comparison of political leaders with Lord Vitthal.

Read: INSIDE STORY: Sai Baba Birthplace Row Getting Out Of Hand, Here's How CM Uddhav Buckled

The controversy over Sai Baba birthplace

This is not the first time that Thackeray has been embroiled in a religious dispute. The Sai Baba temple at Shirdi is one of the most popular destinations in the country, with lakhs of devotees thronging it every year. While there has been a longstanding dispute over Sai Baba’s birthplace, the situation turned for the worse when Thackeray announced a grant of Rs.100 crore for the purpose of developing Pathri. Thereafter, the people of Shirdi announced an indefinite bandh.  

Read: CM Uddhav Retracts Calling Pathri The Birthplace Of Sai Baba After Meet With Shirdi Trust

But, on January 19, the villagers of Shirdi decided to temporarily suspend the bandh. They considered factors such as the willingness of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to hold talks with the protesters and the convenience of the devotees. A day later, the dispute over the birthplace of Sai Baba was resolved after Maharashtra Chief Minister retracted his statement on Pathri.

This development took place after a delegation of 40 members including representatives of the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust, BJP MLA Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, and Shiv Sena MP Sadashiv Lokhande met Maharashtra CM and other top ministers. Another crucial breakthrough was that no objection was raised by anyone regarding the allocation of Rs.100 crore for the development of Pathri as a hub for religious tourism. Though, this led to disgruntlement among people in Pathri. 

Read: Sai Baba Birthplace Row Escalates: Pathri Threatens Stir As CM Uddhav Meets Shirdi Locals