The BJP is campaigning for the reopening of temples in Maharashtra.
Bombay:
Temples and other places of worship will reopen in Maharashtra from Monday, the state government said, listing coronavirus safety measures such as masks, disinfectants and temperature checks they will need to follow .
Religious venues have been closed in Maharashtra and most other states since March, but the opposition BJP has launched a campaign to reopen them, backed by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
Last week, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said places of worship would reopen soon after offering his Diwali greetings to the state.
Mr Thackeray also confirmed that schools were to resume (for grades 9 to 12) after Diwali, with safety protocols already in place to this effect.
The chief minister said he had resisted the reopening of religious places because of the risk to the elderly who visit them. Medical experts believe that older people (over 60) are at greater risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus.
“When will the temples open? They will open soon. After Diwali, we will create SOPs for this. The elderly visit the temples and they are at risk (of contracting Covid). Therefore, overcrowding should be avoided … either temples, masjids or any other place, ”Thackeray said.
The chief minister said that although standard operating procedures or SOPs will be issued later, wearing face masks when visiting places of worship in the state will be mandatory. He put particular emphasis on this and warned people that those without a face mask would be fined.
“People criticize me. I am ready to face it. I am careful for the seniors. If a person positive for Covid is without a mask, he can infect 400 others … these are medical figures”, he said. he declares.
The reopening of temples in the state had sparked a bitter row between Mr. Thackeray and Governor Koshyari early last month; the governor, in a sarcastic letter, asked the chief minister if he had “become secular”.
The Chief Minister replied that his Hindutva did not require a certificate of authenticity and that the government would only take a decision on this matter after “careful consideration”.
The Chief Minister and several other leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan all stressed the need to minimize contact and maximize social distancing during festivals, to ensure that the virus does not spread.
Maharashtra has recorded more than 17.4 lakh cases since the start of the pandemic, of which nearly 46,000 have resulted in deaths. However, the number of active cases in the state fell to 85,000, with more than 16 lakh recovered from the infection.
