Maharashtra: After ‘No Non-Hindus’ call, Shani Temple fire 114 Muslim staff. Bharat News
Nashik: Trust, which manages the Shani Shingnapur arrow in Ahilanagar, Maharashtra, has recently shut down 167 employees on “disciplinary basis”. Among them, 114 (68%) are Muslims, the source of a temple said.Trust, Sri Shaneshwar Devasthan has blamed the dismissal for “non-demonstrations and prolonged absence”, but has not cited any specific reasons. Employees working for 2–10 years were dismissed in two rounds on 8 June and 13 June.On June 14, an organization called Sakal Hindu Samaj threatened a protest, demanding the removal of non-Hindus working in a pilgrimage in Shenninganpur. This was followed by a viral video in May, which shows a man, not a Hindu, who works as a painting in the temple.Devasthan CEO Gorakshanath Darandale justified the expulsion and denied prejudice. “There is no question of discrimination in action. The removed people are from different religions. The action was strictly disciplinary in nature. More than 2,400 employees work with Devasthan.Another senior Devasthan officer said that those people were dismissed “in agriculture, waste management and education departments of the temple trust”. “Some are absent from work for five months.”
