Jignesh Mevani enters temple in Kutch with Dalits

Gandhinagar:  As part of the agitation against atrocities on Dalit community in Gujarat, the lone independent legislator Jignesh Mevani, who recently joined the Congress, entered a temple at Varnu village on Monday with other Dalit members in Rapar taluka in Kutch as a mark of protest.
On receiving a complaint from the Dalit residents of the Varnu village, the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch of which Jignesh Mevani is the national convener, reached the temple with his team. Mevani in his presence ensured the entry of people from the Dalit community inside the temple.
“The temple has two premises and Dalits are allowed access to only the primary part and the inner sanctum sanctorum is reserved only for people from the upper caste,” Mevani told the IANS.
“Now my question is — why every citizen is not allowed an entry inside and only the upper caste? asked Mevani.
“In the authority’s presence, we made an entry into ‘Garbha Gruh’ and carried out rituals. But it was a very cold welcome from the temple authorities (Pujari-Nahant), as cold a welcome I would receive at the BJP headquarters Kamalam,” Mevani laughed.
After the entry, Mevani held a meeting with people from other communities residing in the Varnu village. Mevani told them, “We are not here to showcase our strength that we can enter the temple, but we are here to move along with you with folded hands. Let’s consider each other as our own and have a feeling of brotherhood for our fellow villagers.”