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Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said that temples and other places of worship will reopen in Maharashtra from Monday, listing coronavirus safety measures such as masks, sanitisers and temperature checks that they will have to follow. Religious places have been closed in Maharashtra and most other states since March but the opposition BJP has started a campaign to have them reopened, backed by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
Last week, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had said places of worship will re-open soon as he offered Diwali greetings to the state.
Extending greetings to people on the occasion of Diwali, he said, "We can't forget that the demon coronavirus is still amongst us. Even though this demon is slowly falling silent now, we cannot be complacent. Citizens need to follow discipline. Just like discipline and restraint were observed while celebrating Holi, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri and Pandharpur wari, followers of other faiths also celebrated festivals like Eid, Mount Mary festival by keeping the Covid-19 safety protocol in mind," he said.