The Shani Shingnapur Devasthan Trust in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra has dismissed 167 employees, including 114 Muslims, citing “serious irregularities, absenteeism, and indiscipline.” The move comes just a day before a massive protest planned by Acharya Tushar Bhosale, head of the BJP’s Spiritual Coordination Front, demanding the removal of non-Hindu staff from mandir departments.
The Shani Shingnapur shrine, dedicated to Bhagwan Shani and revered across Bharat for centuries, has long stood as a symbol of divine justice and dharmic power. Yet, in recent years, growing discontent had been brewing among devotees over the disproportionate appointment of Muslim staff within mandir departments—especially in functions tied to trust management, education, agriculture, and sanitation.
“This is not a mosque. This is a Hindu tirtha where crores come to seek the blessings of Bhagwan Shani. The soul of the mandir was being compromised under the guise of secular administration,” said Acharya Tushar Bhosale, who led the public campaign for the removal of these employees.
Bhosale had announced a grand protest march on June 14, which had drawn support from a broad base of devotees, spiritual groups, and dharmic organisations across Maharashtra and beyond. Faced with the prospect of mass mobilisation, the mandir trust convened an emergency meeting on June 13 and announced the removal of 167 employees, including all 114 Muslims.
“This is a historic win for Sanatan Dharma. We have reclaimed our sacred space. Let this be an example for other mandir trusts being run like secular departments,” Bhosale said.
While the mainstream narrative has attempted to portray the move as purely communal, the mandir trust has provided compelling reasons for the action. According to the trust, nearly 99 of the 114 Muslim employees had not reported for work in over five months. Despite repeated notices, they continued to draw salaries without contributing to mandir functions.
“Their absence, lack of accountability, and poor performance were creating immense operational challenges. Waste was piling up, educational services were declining, and agricultural plots were neglected,” said Trustee Appasaheb Shete.
The administration made it clear that religion was not the official basis for dismissal, but many Hindu groups say the issue cannot be separated from the growing concern that many mandirs across Bharat are being run in ways that marginalise Hindu customs and interests.
Devotees and Hindu organisations argue that it is absurd to ignore the religious ethos of a mandir while making hiring decisions. “Can a mandir school be run by those who do not believe in Hindu dharma? Can sanctified areas be cleaned or managed by those who do not observe ritual purity? This is not just employment—it is a matter of sacred tradition,” said a local priest associated with the mandir.
Reports suggest that many of the dismissed employees had been hired during earlier regimes without proper vetting or adherence to traditional codes. “There must be a dharmic audit of every mandir trust in the country. For too long, our mandirs have been run by those who are disconnected from or even hostile to Hindu beliefs,” said a member of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).
The Shani Shingnapur case has once again ignited debate about the limits of secularism. Why is it that mandirs—unlike mosques or churches—are forced to operate under state control and accept appointments that may not align with their religious ethos?
“This isn’t secularism. This is state interference dressed as equality. When mandirs are run with total disregard for Hindu sentiments, it becomes necessary for Hindus to reclaim their spaces,” said an RSS functionary in Pune.
Acharya Tushar Bhosale, who led the campaign through sustained public mobilisations, has emerged as a significant voice in the growing movement to restore dharmic dignity to mandirs. His declaration—“This is a victory of the unity of the Hindu society”—has found resonance with devotees nationwide.
Under his leadership, the BJP Spiritual Coordination Front has vowed to monitor all major mandir trusts in Maharashtra and other states to ensure that such distortions do not repeat. “We will not allow our mandirs to be turned into secular departments managed by those who do not believe in our gods, our values, or our way of life,” Bhosale said.
Many Hindu activists are now calling for similar audits in prominent mandir trusts across India—be it Tirupati, Pandharpur, or Guruvayur. They assert that the Shani Shingnapur model should be replicated nationwide to bring mandirs back under the spiritual leadership of Hindus.
