Desai, however, returned to the temple at night.
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Women Activist and Bhoomata Ranragini Brigade (BRB) leader Trupti Desai, who suffered an attack at the Mahalakshmi Temple, at Maharashtra’s Kohlapur dictrict on Wednesday night, said that the attackers had intention of killing her, according to reports. Desai alleged that the women devotees as well as the priests who were present inside the temple used abusive language. A wary policeman is said to have counselled Ms. Desai on Tuesday over phone that it might be appropriate to enter the temple in a saree, to avoiding hurting the sentiments of hostile locals. Police detained them and dislodged them from the scene in vans to maintain law and order situation there. The district administration had imposed Section 144 in anticipation of counter agitations from some women’s groups belonging to saffron organisations like the Sanatan Sanstha and Bajarang Dal to protest against the entry of women into the temple sanctum. We got the high court’s order. Considering the tense atmosphere here, we did not allow her to go towards the temple, with a huge crowd gathered there.
Deputy SP Bharatkumar Rane said police tried to convince Desai against going in procession but she did not budge. As she came out of the threshold, more police personnel surrounded her to prevent any attack on her. While she was being escorted out, an unidentified woman threw kumkum at her and raised slogans. They have only told us to follow the dress code, to which we agreed. Now, she is conscious and recovering, added the doctor.
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Notwithstanding the advice given by the police to wear sari inside “girbh griha” of the temple, the woman activist entered the inner sanctum in salwar kameez though some priests and devotees tried to block her way.
