Notice issued to Trupti Desai barring her from visiting Shirdi till Dec 11

Dec 08, 2020

Ahmednagar (Maharashtra) [India], December 9 : Women's Right's activist Trupti Desai has been asked not to enter Shirdi town in Maharashtra till December 11 after she threatened to remove boards put up by Shri Saibaba Temple shrine officials requesting devotees to wear traditional Indian or "civilised attire".
The Shirdi Sub-Divisional Officer on Tuesday issued a notice to Women's Rights activist Trupti Desai asking her not to enter Shirdi between December 8 to 11.
"Her arrival here may create a law and order problem. If she violates the order she will be punished as per Section 188 IPC," the notice stated.
Earlier last week, Desai had objected to signs put up outside the temple and terming it "an attempt to take away the constitutional right to express oneself," the activist had threatened to take matters into her own hands.
"We have sent a complaint to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray demanding that the institution be investigated. Devotees know very well how to maintain the purity of a temple. If the sign is not removed, we will come and take it off ourselves at 1 pm on December 10," she had said.
The Shirdi Sai Baba Temple Trust Trust, however, clarified that this was not a dress code but merely a request.
"It is not a forceful order; it is an optional appeal. While we do believe that everyone has the right to live their life as per their choice, wearing a traditional dress to the temple is good. We have even received letters from people appreciating the move," Rural Development minister Hasan Mushrif said.