PONDA: With various festivals lining up this month and the opposing parties at loggerheads over the right to celebrate the festivities, tension has engulfed Marcaim temple since the beginning of the month.
The dispute broke out when the Mahajans of Marcaim temple wanted to replace the old idols in the temple and the same was opposed by the Bahujans.
Following this dispute, the Marcaim villagers challenged the move of the Mahajans in court and obtained a temporary injunction against replacing the idols.
In July this year, physical clash broke out in the temple the Mahajans and the Bahujans, wherein a Mahajan was injured. Following this, the Mahajans moved the High Court which ordered the Ponda police to maintain law and order within the temple premises. The High Court also ordered both the parties to celebrate the festivals peacefully.
And now, with Palkhim and Navratri lined up this month, clashes have broken out between the Mahajans and the Bahujans over the right to celebrate religious festivities in the temple.
As directed by the High Court, an armed police force was deployed on October 5 at the Marcaim temple to maintain law and order. The police reportedly entered the inner sanctorum of temple hurting the religious sentiments of the devotees.
On October 6, the Mahajans complained to the High Court that the villagers were not allowing them to perform their religious rituals despite heavy police protection, following which the court permitted deployment of private security in the temple and also directed the police to maintain law and order outside the temple.
