Ahilyanagar, 13 June (HS): The Shani Shingnapur

Temple Trust in Ahilyanagar has removed 167 employees, including 114 Muslims.

The Trust called it disciplinary action.

The Sakal Hindu Samaj was planning to stage an agitation on June 14, demanding removal of Muslim employees from the Trust. Out

of the 167 employees, 99 had not reported for work for the last five months, the

Trust said.

Tension increased when the Muslim employees on May

21 installed an iron grill on the temple’s dais, painted it and cleaned the dais,

to which Maharashtra Temples Federation and Hindu organisations raised objections.

The Trust said that no Muslim employees work inside the sanctum sanctorum or

the main platform of the temple. Their work is mainly related to waste

management, agricultural work, and educational activities.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Ajay Vasant Mardikar