Sharad Pawar comes out in support of women entering Shani shingnapur Temple

MUMBAI: Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has come out in support of the the women's organisation Ranragini Bhumata Brigade that wants women to be allowed to enter the inner sanctum of the Shani Shingnapur Temple in Ahmednagar district.

Pawar on February 2 said that God does not discriminate between a woman and a man and that women should be allowed to enter the inner sanctum of the temple.

“Which is the God that discriminates between a male and female? And if a God practises such discrimination then I wouldn’t consider him a God at all,” he said.

The Ranragini Bhumata Brigade’s attempt to enter the inner sanctum of the temple was foiled by the police, the local residents as well as radical Hindutva activists who oppose the entry of women in to the inner sanctum saying it is prohibited.

While BJP MLA Pankaja Munde has supported the temple management’s stand, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has sought to coax the management to arrive at a solution by advocating a dialogue with the women's organisation.