by Team Clarion

NEW DELHI – In a disturbing turn of events, Hindu right-wing groups have openly demanded the removal of all Muslim employees at the revered Maa Sharda Devi Temple in Maihar, Madhya Pradesh.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and its affiliate, Bajrang Dal, have issued a written ultimatum to the district administration, insisting that all non-Hindu employees, particularly Muslims, be removed from their jobs at the ropeway service operating at the temple.

On Monday, members of both organisations gathered in large numbers and submitted a memorandum to Additional Collector Shailendra Singh. They claimed that the presence of Muslims at a Hindu religious site “hurts sentiments” and “violates norms.” The groups also threatened strong protests if their demand is not met within seven days.

“Non-Hindus working at such a sacred site is unacceptable,” said Ravi Trivedi, a Bajrang Dal activist. “They neither understand our religious traditions nor follow our way of worship. We had warned the authorities earlier. This time we will not sit quietly.”

This is not the first incident of Muslims being stopped from working at religious places under the pretext of faith. In April this year, a Muslim welder was barred from repairing a temple gate in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, simply because of his religious identity.

“It feels like we are not even allowed to earn an honest living anymore,” said 45-year-old Rafiq Ahmed, a technician who has been working on the ropeway for the past eight years. “I never felt unwelcome before, but now I’m scared. We are being punished for being Muslims.”

Maihar’s Sharda Devi Temple ropeway is one of the busiest in central India. Thousands of pilgrims, regardless of religion, take the ropeway daily to reach the hilltop shrine. Several of its staff members are Muslims, working in technical and operational roles, many of whom have been part of the service since it was launched.

“This ropeway does not belong to any one religion,” said Imran Khan, another staff member. “We serve everyone with honesty—Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians. But now our religion is being made an excuse to remove us. This is wrong.”

This story was originally published in clarionindia.net. Read the full story here.