The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Board, which manages Andhra Pradesh’s Sri Venkateswara Temple, has transferred to other posts 18 employees practicing and “participating in non-Hindu religious activities”.

The order, issued by Executive Officer J Syamala Rao on Saturday, said that six of the employees were teachers at educational institutes that the board operates.

The other employees included a deputy executive officer for welfare, an assistant executive officer, an assistant technical officer for electrical works, two nurses, two electricians and a hostel worker.

The board claimed that it had been proven that the employees were practicing and participating in non-Hindu religious activities, even though they had “taken the oath before the photograph/Idol of Lord Sri Venkateshwara Swamy Varu stating that they will follow the Hindu dharma and Hindu traditions only and also stating that they will not follow non-Hindu religious activities” in line with a 1989 government order.

The employees taking part in Hindu religious fairs, festivals and functions conducted by the board “impacts the sanctity, sentiments and beliefs of crores of Hindu devotees,” claimed the order.

The order said that the 18 employees must not be assigned duties related to festivals, processions at the temples managed by the board.

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Board's Chairman BR Naidu said on social media that the board had passed a resolution to “transfer the non-religious employees to government departments or give them VRS [voluntary retirement scheme] and send them out”.

The state Endowments Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy told The Indian Express on Wednesday that employees “practicing non-Hindu religious activities” meant that they were either Muslims or Christians.

This came after the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam Board decided in November to transfer non-Hindu staff and ban political speeches.

“Their religious alignment or beliefs do not align with TTD’s Hindu practices, hence the transfers,” the newspaper quoted Reddy as saying. “All of them will be suitably posted to similar positions elsewhere.”