Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Wednesday directed the executive officers of Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) not to terminate Christian and Muslim employees on the ground that non-Hindus could not be allowed to work in its institutions till further orders.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice K. Vijaya Lakshmi while dealing with the petition by non-Hindu employees of the TTD seeking to declare unconstitutional Rule 9(4) of TTD Employees Service Rules which prohibits employment to non-Hindus in temples run by TTD and temples run with its financial aid as unconstitutional. The petition also sought setting aside the showcause notices issued to them under the rule to terminate them from the jobs.
Counsel for TTD Y. Balaji, while submitting that the petitioners had given an undertaking to the TTD that they would not propagate non-Hindu religions, urged the court to direct the petitioners to abide by the undertaking.
The bench asked why it should direct them as it was for TTD to take action if they were found violating the undertaking.
It said, TTD had to show sympathy towards the petitioners as they brought to the notice of the court that their parents also served in the institutions.
Stating that prima facie there was no justification in issuing the notices to the petitioners by the TTD, the bench told the petitioners to submit their replies to the TTD.
While admitting the petition, the bench issued notices to the respondent authorities and adjourned the case by making it clear that petitioners shall not be terminated till further orders.
