HC notice to govt over caste barrier in Matiana temple

SHIMLA: The Himachal Pradesh high court on Thursday issued notice to the state government over the issue of discrimination on the basis of caste at the temple of Mahashwari Devi ji Shari, Matiana, Shimla. The court has further directed the respondents to file a reply in the matter that will be taken up on November 5 for further hearing.
A division bench comprising chief justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and justice PS Rana passed these orders on a writ petition filed by one Mathu Ram, who has alleged in the petition that the management committee of ancient temple Mahashwari Devi ji, Shari, Matiana, had made regressive changes in the constitution of the temple that fanned casteism and untouchability.
The petitioner had made a complaint regarding the same to the authorities concerned but when no action was taken, he had approached the high court by way of writ petition with a prayer to restrain the temple administration from practicing untouchability in the temple and allow entry of people belonging to the Scheduled Castes in the temple.
The petitioner has further alleged that the deity is the owner of huge assets besides a closed secret treasure. However, keys and written records of the treasure are kept by a person from a specific family.