Satna (Madhya Pradesh): Sharda Mata Temple situated at Maihar in Madhya Pradesh's Satna district has been in the headlines after the Religious Trust and Endowment Department reportedly issued an order to remove muslim employees from the temple management team.
A muslim employee, Abid Khan who has been working at the temple since 1993, said, "I am posted as a legal clerk here. Two years ago, Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad had made a complaint that Muslim employees should be removed from the temple. But nothing like that has happened with us. Neither we have removed nor we have received any information related to it."
"I have been working here since 1993 and there is another employee Ayyub who has been working here since 1988. Till date nothing like this had happened but it all occurred in the recent two years," he added.
'Worked here for 35 years, where will I go?'
He further said, "If we are removed then we will become unemployed. We have worked for 35 years and are on the verge of retirement, so where will we go? I only demand the district administration and the government do justice to us. I am currently attached to SDM court since the matter came to light." The other employee Ayyub is still looking after the water management team of the temple, Khan added.
'No one had a problem till date'
He also said that according to him, the steps of Bajrang Dal and VHP were wrong. If such was an issue, then it should have been removed earlier. He did not have any such problem with anyone to date.
"Whenever our guests come, we ourselves go to the temple. We don't mind how they object," Khan added.
Nonetheless, the top officials are avoiding responding over the whole matter.
