Activist Trupti Desai Offers Prayers at Haji Ali Dargah amid Tight Security

Posted on 13 May 2016. Tags: Activist, amid, Dargah, Desai, Haji, offers, Prayers, security, Tight, Trupti

Over a month after Shani Shingnapur temple allowed women to entre inner sanctum, activist Trupti Desai on Thursday entered the Haji Ali Dargah and gave 15 days ultimate to the trustees to allow women to pray where men do else face protest.
 
The Bhumata Ranragini Brigade leader entered Mumbai's Haji Ali Dargah to offer prayers amid tight security. But she stopped short of the inner sanctum, as is the custom for women at the Dargah.
 
 "At the Dargah, I prayed that women be allowed to enter the inner sanctum, as was the case till 2011. Police cooperated with us this time. This is a fight for gender equality. We will try to visit the inner sanctum next time," Desai said, after coming out of the Dargah.
 
She was earlier denied entry to the Dargah by protestors last month.
 
"Desai visited the dargah at 6:00 am on Thursday and left after offering prayers. There is already security at the dargah and we also deployed some extra personnel," said Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Deven Bharti.
   
Desai, who had rigorously campaigned for entry of women in Shani Shingnapur and Trimbakeshwar temples in Maharashtra, had taken her movement for gender equality to the famous Dargah in Mumbai.
   
Hours after she entered the Dargah and offered prayers, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Haji Rafat Hussain said he was happy that Desai came to the Dargah, but she shouldn’t have come with police.
 
“Trupti Desai should now try and go to a Parsi temple, then we will know if she is fighting for justice or publicity,” Hussain added.

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