A day after a landmark judgment allowed for women to enter all places of worship in Maharashtra, women activists were stopped from going into the inner sanctum of Shani Shingnapur temple in Ahmednagar. PTI reported that activist Trupti Desai and 26 others were detained to avoid a clash with locals. Members of the Bhumata Rangragini Brigade, led by Desai, were blocked by locals, temple trust members and protesting National Congress Party members. Desai had earlier told ANI if anyone stopped the women from entering, they would file an FIR. She also said they will file an FIR against Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis if he did not facilitate womens' entry into all temples.

Desai said the state government had not provided them protection despite court orders. On Friday, the government had said it would take steps to comply with the order and would enforce a law that provides for six months imprisonment for anyone preventing people from entering a place of worship. The law will not apply if both men and women are barred from a religious place. Desai had earlier this year made attempts to take women into the temple’s sanctum sanctorum, but was stopped on all occasions.