The BJP has been campaigning for temples to reopen in Maharashtra.
Mumbai:
Temples and other places of worship will reopen in Maharashtra from Monday, the state government has said, adding that it will soon issue coronavirus safety measures that they will have to follow.
Religious places have been closed in Maharashtra and most other states since March but the opposition BJP has mounted a campaign to have them reopened, backed by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
Last week, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had said places of worship will re-open soon as he offered Diwali greetings to the state.
Mr Thackeray also confirmed that schools were set to resume (for Classes 9 to 12) after Diwali, with safety protocols already in place for this.
The Chief Minister said he had held out on reopening religious places because of the risk to senior citizens who visit them. Medical experts believe elderly people (those above 60) are at greater risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus.
“When will temples open? They will open soon. After Diwali we will create SOPs for this. Elderly people visit temples and they are at risk (of contracting Covid). Therefore overcrowding needs to be avoided… be it temples, masjids or any other place,” Mr Thackeray said.
The Chief Minister said that although the SOPs would be released later, the wearing of face masks while visiting places of worship in the state would be compulsory. He laid particular stress on that and warned people that those found without face masks would be fined.
