An individual working in a temple in Andhra Pradesh loses job for converting to Christianity

• Andhra Pradesh High Court upheld the decision

• Hindus should work in Hindu Temples, No one will oppose this injunction.

Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Varla Devasthanam

Amravati (Andhra Pradesh) – Andhra Pradesh High Court upheld the decision of removing from service an employee of ‘Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Swamy Varla Devasthanam’ for converting to the Christian Faith. The Court said that this employee is no longer a Hindu as he has accepted the Christian faith, he cannot be employed here according to the rules of the Dharmik Organisations. According to the rules only a Hindu can be employed in the Devasthanam.

In the year 2002, the petitioner was appointed as Record Assistant in the office of the 4th respondent – Sri Bramarambha Mallikarjuna Swamy Varla Devasthanam on compassionate grounds. He married a Christian girl in 2010 in a church. After this, there were complaints against him. The complaint said that ‘he had hidden the fact that he was a Christian at the time of employment’. After this, he was removed from the job. In his explanation he had said, ‘I did not hide my religion. I had submitted all the Government papers about this. And also given the information that I belonged to the scheduled caste. It should not be taken that I converted on marrying a Christian girl. I still believe in the Hindu faith’. The bench however refused to accept any of the grounds relied on by the petitioner, noting the fact that he did not place the marriage certificate on record either before Enquiry Officer or in the pleadings in the writ petition.

1.The Court in its judgement observed, “If this Court is to consider the contention of the petitioner that he has married a Christian girl without converting himself as a Christian, then the marriage ought to have been performed under the provisions of the Special Marriage Act, 1954. The marriage certificate ought to be issued under Section 13 of the Special Marriage Act, no certificate under Section 13 has been issued in the case of the petitioner in so far as his marriage is concerned, this indicates that the petitioner in order to get over Rule 3 of AP Charitable and Hindu Religious Institutions and Endowments office holders and Servant Service Rules, 2000 has taken this plea.”

2.“As seen from the copy of Extract of Register of Marriages at Holy Cross Cathedral, Nandyal, filed by the respondents, the name of the petitioner and his wife appeared in the column, the name of the parties and religion as Christian. The petitioner has endorsed his signature in the said registrar. It is also mentioned that one Rt. Rev. Dr. G.T. Abraham appears to have been performed the marriage ceremony. The said extract amply clarifies that the petitioner was conscious of the fact that he is a Christian and his marriage is with a Christian lady and the marriage is solemnized in a church as per the Christian rites and church formalities”, the bench further noted in the order.