Dargah trustees demand police action against Medha Kulkarni
The trustees have demanded police action against Kulkarni. In response, the MP has denied the allegations and said she would file a complaint against the trustees for defamation if they failed to prove their claims
Fresh tension has erupted in the city over the Punyashwar Temple and Shaikh Salahuddin Dargah issue with trustees of the Muslim religious place alleging that BJP MP Medha Kulkarni threatened them during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations and attempted to stop the azaan (Islamic call to prayer).
The trustees have demanded police action against Kulkarni. In response, the MP has denied the allegations and said she would file a complaint against the trustees for defamation if they failed to prove their claims.
“They have made allegations, so it’s their responsibility to prove that I entered the dargah and threatened them. If not, I will have to take legal action against them,” Kulkarni said.
She confirmed visiting the Punyashwar Temple on April 12 for the Hanuman Jayanti celebrations. “While the aarti and Hanuman prayers were going on, the neighbouring dargah played the azaan loudly. We requested them to lower the volume as our celebrations were underway, but they argued with me,” she said.
“Later, I was travelling and unaware of the developments, but learned that videos of the incident went viral. In those clips, it’s visible that I covered my ears because of the loud sound. I requested them to reduce the volume, but they argued. The images also show police stopping them as they approached us. It’s now up to the trustees to prove their claims. If they fail, I will lodge a complaint against them,” she said.