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January 26, 2016

India of 2016: Police detain women activists on way to Maharashtra Shani temple to protest entry ban

ndtv.com
Activists Heading For Maharashtra Temple At Centre of Gender Row Detained
All India | Written by | Updated: January 26, 2016

http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/a-battle-over-rules-of-entry-for-ahmednagar-temple-escalates-1270202

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The Times of India

Police detain women activists on way to Maharashtra Shani temple to protest entry ban
TNN | Jan 26, 2016, 04.42 PM IST
Police detain women activists on way to Maharashtra Shani temple to protest entry ban
00:50
Police detain women activists on way to Maharashtra Shani temple to protest entry ban
NEW DELHI: A group of women headed to the Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district on Tuesday were detained by the police at Supa village 70km away from the shrine.

The protesters, who had squatted on the streets after being prevented to proceed to the temple, were taken to Supa police station.

Earlier, the protesting women broke the police barricade and clashed with the security forces.

"We will not move away from here till we are allowed to enter the temple," said the protesters.

The protest was led by Bhumata Ranragini Brigade which had announced to worship Lord Shani at the sacred platform as a symbolic gesture to break the gender barrier at the shrine.

The president of the organization Trupti Desai had earlier threatened to use chopper to enter the temple if stopped by the security forces.







Some images from the protest site. (ANI/Twitter)

"We have already booked a helicopter and if we are not permitted to enter from the open ground, we shall drop ladders from the chopper and climb down," she had said.

Earlier, nearly 500 women proceeded towards the temple as a part of the planned protest.

The police and the temple authorities had put up three levels of barricades, deployed women constables and village volunteers to guard the temple.

(With inputs from agencies)