Activist Trupti Desai taken into preventive custody on her way to Shirdi

Activist Trupti Desai was detained on Thursday (December 10) while on her way from Pune to the Sai Baba temple in Shirdi. The police took her and her supporters into preventive custody at Supa Village in Ahmednagar district.

Desai wanted to go to Shirdi to protest against the dress code put up by the Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan Trust requesting devotees to wear “civilised” attire in keeping with Indian culture and tradition.

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Desai countered this saying a dress code cannot be imposed on devotees by the Trust. She said: “If there is a dress code for devotees, then temple priests should also cover themselves up fully.”

The Trust, however, said that they aren’t dictating a dress code to their devotees, adding that it is only an appeal. “We have not imposed any ban, not enforcing any dress code on the temple premises,” Kanhuraj Bagate, CEO of the Shirdi Saibaba Sansthan, said.

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Bagate added complaints were raised by some activists against some devotees wearing “objectionable outfits” when they visited the temple. “In view of the complaints, we  requested devotees to enter the temple only in traditional Indian dress. This is only a request… we are not enforcing any dress code,” he said.