The Congress on Saturday strongly opposed restriction or ban on entry of women devotees to temples and said women have every right to worship in temples.
In fact, the Congress backed the agitation by a women’s organisation in Maharashtra for lifting of the centuries-old ban on women devotees climbing the sacred platform at Shani Shingnapur temple in Ahmednagar district, AICC general secretary and former MP Priya Dutt told presspersons here on Saturday.
She said women had equal rights in the field of religion and entering temples, and there should not be any discrimination against them.
Her statement came in the wake of activists making an attempt to defy the ban on women climbing the sacred platform at Shani Shingnapur, which was foiled by police as they were stopped at a village 70 km away from the shrine.
The country had banned child marriage and sati, Ms. Dutt said, and added, “We have to change according to changes in society.”
Denying entry for women citing past traditions and history was not a good precedent, she said.
We have to change according to changes in society.
Priya Dutt
