Religious places to be open in Maharashtra from Monday

Places of religious worship in Maharashtra, which have been shut since the COVID-19 lockdown in March, will reopen from Diwali 'Padwa' on Monday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced on Saturday.

While many states had opened the religious places weeks ago, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray remained wary of the threat COVID-19 posed in Maharashtra and did not reopen them amid massive pressure from Opposition.

Last week, the Maharashtra CM had hinted that the places of worship would reopen soon. He had also pointed at the reopening of schools for Classes 9 to 12 after Diwali.

The state government has put together a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP), which must be followed by all religious institutions. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday warned of strict action against violators.

A statement from Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s office said that people have to strictly follow the guidelines and safety protocols. “We can’t forget that the demon coronavirus is still amongst us,” Thackeray said. “Even though this demon is slowly falling silent now, we cannot be complacent. Citizens need to follow discipline.”