Religious places to reopen in Maharashtra from November 16 amid declining COVID-19 cases

In a big development on Saturday, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray announced that religious places in the state will reopen for devotees from November 16. While the Ministry of Home Affairs permitted the reopening of religious places in India from June 8 onwards, the Maharashtra government decided against implementing this relaxation owing to the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state. Reminding people about the havoc caused by COVID-19, the Maharashtra CM cautioned people against letting their guard down.

He contended that the novel coronavirus situation in Maharashtra did not go out of hand because the residents took requisite precautions even during major festivals such as Holi, Navratri, and Eid. While conceding that all religious places were closed during the COVID-19-induced lockdown, Thackeray opined that doctors and health personnel played the role of "Gods in white coats" for the devotees. He urged the people to continue taking the necessary precautions such as avoiding crowds in places of worship.

According to him, this was not just the government but God's wish too. The Maharashtra CM stressed the mandatory use of masks inside the religious places. The state government's decision comes at a juncture when Maharashtra is witnessing a gradual decline in the number of COVID-19 cases. Currently, there are 85,045 active novel coronavirus cases in Maharashtra while 16,09,607 patients have been discharged and 45,809 fatalities have been reported. 

Read: Priests Protest, Seek To Enter Shirdi Temple After MVA Govt Fails To Give Assurance

Read: Kejriwal To Perform 'Diwali Pujan' At Akshardham Temple On Nov 14

Longstanding demand for reopening religious places

BJP and numerous saints have been consistently demanding the reopening of places of worship. For instance, former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis highlighted the loss to the temple economy. Responding to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's request on reopening of places of worship on October 12, Thackeray maintained that the primary responsibility of his government is to safeguard the lives of the people.

Emphasising that it is unwise to lift the lockdown in one go, he highlighted the contours of the 'My Family, My Responsibility' initiative of the state government. The Maharashtra CM assured the Governor that a decision on reopening temples while taking all precautions will be taken at the earliest. On October 13, protests took place outside the Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai and the Sai Baba temple in Shirdi. Representatives of the saint community including Acharya Tushar Bhosale met Koshyari at the Raj Bhavan on October 28 to raise this issue. 

Read: Fadnavis Highlights Loss To Temple Economy Amid Reopening Demand, Takes Dig At Shiv Sena