Bhopal: The axe may fall on two Muslim government employees, who are providing service at Maihar's Sharda Devi temple in Madhya Pradesh for the past 35 years. The religious trust board and state minister, who look after a religious affair, has shot off a letter to Satna District Magistrate Anurag Verma asking the latter to look into the matter.
In the letter, the DM has been asked to remove those shops close to the temple premises, engaged in selling liquor and meat. Besides, the letter further stated that two Muslim employees, Abid Hussain, who is the legal advisor and the other Ayub, who takes care of the water supply system on the temple premises, shall be removed from the service. Both are permanent employees of the Temple Management Committee. The services of two Muslim employees will be affected if the order is implemented. Both are attached to the Temple Management Committee for the past 35 years. Abid Hussain and Ayub are working at the Temple Management Committee as payroll staff.
It is learnt from sources that some Hindu organisations of Maihar demanded that the minister, who is looking after religious affairs in the state, Usha Thakur, remove Muslim employees from the service. Hence, based on the recommendation of the minister, the Madhya Pradesh government has issued a directive on removal of the employees. However, officials are tightlipped over the issue. On other hand, people are talking in a hush-hush tone that whether it will be 'constitutionally fair to remove someone' on the basis of caste, creed or religion.
