Shiv Sena Deputy Chief Minister Condemns Cow Urine Spraying Incident at Temple

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday described as “unfortunate” the incident in which a group of youths allegedly sprinkled cow urine inside a temple in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district following a visit by Shiv Sena MLA Abdul Sattar . The controversy broke out after Sattar offered prayers at the Nageshwar Mahadev Temple in Rahimabad village in his Sillod Assembly constituency on the occasion of Mahashivratri. Shortly after his visit, some local youths objected to his presence and reportedly carried out what they termed a “cleansing” ritual by spraying gomutra inside the temple premises. Videos of the incident surfaced on social media, triggering political reactions. “Abdul Sattar is an elected MLA. He is a patriot and a lover of this country. Such action on the part of people is not good,” Shinde, who also heads the Shiv Sena, said. Right wing groups had opposed Sattar’s entry into the temple, alleging that he consumes non-vegetarian food and had thereby “defiled” the shrine. Manoj Morellu, BJP’s Sillod unit chief, told reporters that party workers had sprayed gomutra to “restore sanctity” to the temple, claiming that Sattar’s visit had hurt religious sentiments. Sattar, a four-term MLA from Sillod, has been a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly since 2009. Beginning his political career at the grassroots level in the 1980s, he entered state politics with the Congress before switching to the Shiv Sena ahead of the 2019 Assembly elections. He served as a Minister of State in the Uddhav Thackeray-led government and later joined Shinde’s camp following the Shiv Sena split in 2022, securing a cabinet berth in the Mahayuti government. Known for his outspoken style, Sattar remains a polarising figure in the Marathwada region and has had frequent run-ins with both BJP leaders and right-wing groups despite being part of the ruling alliance. Sattar was not available for comments.