Uddhav Thackeray to hold meeting on Shirdi shutdown tomorrow

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is scheduled to hold a meeting on Monday to discuss the indefinite shutdown in Shirdi town over his alleged comments on Sai Baba's birthplace.

"Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will hold a meeting on Monday to discuss the controversy which is going on regarding the birthplace of Shri Sai Baba," Chief Minister Office (CMO) tweeted on Saturday.

The 'bandh' has been called by locals upset with Thackeray's decision to allocate funds to develop Pathri town in Parbhani district for religious tourism, calling it the birthplace of Baba, who is a 19th-century spiritual figure.

The Chief Minister had also taken a review meeting of the development plans in Parbhani district.

Shirdi in Ahmednagar district and Pathri in Parbhani district are 281 kilometres apart. Shirdi temple is one of the most popular religious destinations in the country. Over a lakh devotees visit it every year.

While the rest of the town remained shut, the temple remained open for darshan today.

Sai Baba devotees were however allowed to visit the temple amidst shut down today. "Devotees will not face any difficulty if they come to Shirdi," B Wakchaure, member of Saibaba Sansthan Trust, had assured yesterday.