Maharashtra: Shani Shingnapur temple dismisses 114 Muslim workers amid protests by Hindutva groups
The Shri Shaneshwar Devasthan Trust cited reasons such as absenteeism and misconduct to terminate 167 employees in total.
The trust that manages the Shani Shingnapur shrine in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar district has dismissed 167 employees, including 114 Muslim workers, allegedly on disciplinary grounds, The Indian Express reported.
The Shri Shaneshwar Devasthan Trust cited reasons such as prolonged “absenteeism, misconduct and other similar violations” to terminate the 167 employees, the newspaper reported.
This move comes amid protests by Hindutva groups against the trust’s hiring of Muslim employees.
In May, a controversy erupted after a video, purportedly showing Muslim employees doing maintenance work inside the temple, was circulated on social media, the Hindustan Times reported.
On May 21, Hindutva groups staged a protest over this alleged video, demanding the termination of employment of Muslim workers from the temple, the newspaper reported.
The Hindutva groups along with Nationalist Congress Party MLA Sangram Jagtap had announced to hold a “Hindu Dharma Protection March” on Saturday over the row.
“Shani Shingnapur Devasthan is a temple of the Hindu faith,” the newspaper quoted Jagtap as having said. “A total of 118 Muslim employees have been recruited at this temple. This is not appropriate.”
On Friday, members of the Shri Shaneshwar Devasthan Trust held a meeting where they decided to dismiss all employees flagged for irregular attendance since January, The Indian Express reported.
In a meeting held on June 8, the trust had identified 99 employees. A further 68 employees were named for dismissal in Friday’s meeting, the newspaper reported.
Shri Shaneshwar Devasthan Chief Executive Officer GK Darandale told the Hindustan Times that no one was removed for religious or caste reasons.
“The temple trust employs 2,464 workers but only 900 have been active,” Darandale said.
Along with Muslims, there are Hindus and people from different castes on the list of 167 workers who have been dismissed, the Hindustan Times quoted him as saying.
Shani Shingnapur is famous as the village where houses have no doors or locks, due to the belief that the Hindu god Shani protects it from theft and crime. The temple’s trust, which was established in 1963, employs over 2,400 staff to manage day-to-day operations, maintenance and the upkeep of temple properties, including gardens, gaushalas and agricultural land, The Indian Express reported.
