Amid serpentine queues, Shivraj's wife drives car into Mahakal temple corridor

UJJAIN: Contrary to tall claims of perusing VVIPs to avoid visits at Mahakal temple during rush days like the ongoing Saawan month, district administration bade goodbye to the tradition by rolling out a red carpet welcome on two occasions to welcome VVIP vehicles that drove right into the temple corridor, a trend never seen before.
Like every Monday in ongoing Shrawan month, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's wife Sadhna reached the temple in the afternoon to offer prayers.Administrative officials piloting her cavalcade brought her SUV right up to the corridors adjacent to Juna Mahakal from where she walked to the sanctum sanctorum.
Three days back, vehicle of governor Ramnaresh Yadav was also accorded a similar exception, attracting severe criticism. Veteran BJP leader and former Ujjain mayor Radheshyam Upadhyaya said that he had seen visits of several presidents and prime ministers at the temple in past but their vehicles were restricted to the main entrance road.
VVIP visits on festival days not only affect queues of common man but diverts administrative and police attention from their primary job of crowd management. Under pressure, cops had also beaten devotees two weeks ago when the CM was about to reach there.
When called for comment, temple administrator Jayant Joshi's mobile remained unanswered.