Conspiracy to form gangs in name of Hindutva to disturb communal harmony in Maha, claims Raut

Nashik: Amid row over the Trimbakeshwar temple entry incident, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday alleged a conspiracy to form gangs in the name of Hindutva to fan communal sentiments in the state.
Earlier in the day, members of Sakal Hindu Samaj sprinkled gomutra (cow urine) to purify the temple, one of 12 jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, and performed aarti.
Also Read FIR against Sanjay Raut for ‘advising’ officers to ignore govt directives According to temple authorities, people from a different religion allegedly tried to enter the premises on Saturday night but security guards stopped them.
Speaking to reporters here, Raut claimed nobody tried to enter the Trimbakeshwar temple forcibly as projected, but a group of people was only following an old tradition on the day of the incident.
“Nothing wrong happened in Trimbakeshwar. There is an old tradition of offering ‘dhup’ (burning of incense) to our deities. This is a 100-year-old tradition of Sufi saint Gulab Shah Sandal and devotees offer ‘dhup’ at the steps of the Trimbakeshwar temple. The people of another religion just followed this tradition by visiting the entrance gate of the temple and moved forward,” the Rajya Sabha member claimed.
He said such traditions are followed not only in Maharashtra but also across India and even the prime minister visits dargahs like Ajmer Sharif.