The Paththar Ghadai Sangh (PGS) on July 13 issued a statement refuting the allegations made by a group of artisans working at the Robbinsville Akshardham temple in New Jersey. According to PGS, these allegations were false and made under duress. The PSG is an organisation based in Sirohi, Rajasthan, and affiliated to the Bharatiya Majdoor Sangh.
The organisation's statement revealed that several artisans have now chosen to withdraw from the civil complaint filed against the temple of the BAPS sect in a New Jersey court. In May 2021, a civil complaint was filed, accusing the temple of violating the rights of the artisans. Subsequently, a team from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other agencies entered the temple premises on May 11, 2021, and removed 110 out of the 134 artisans from the construction site. The allegations included claims of caste-based discrimination, wages below the stipulated amount, and improper working conditions.
The release, signed by Prabhuram Meena, the general secretary of Paththar Ghadai Sangh, states that 12 of the volunteers were coerced into joining as plaintiffs in the complaint. "Some of these artisan volunteers have now contacted advocate Aaditya S B Soni and informed him that an advocate in the US named Swati Sawant misled them into making the complaint and they now want to withdraw from it," the release said.
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"These artisans have been rendering their services for such BAPS temples, in India and in the US, for many years. In all this time, they have never experienced any pressure, any casteism or discrimination at BAPS temples… These artisans have clarified that they were treated with love at the BAPS Swaminarayan temple where they served, and were well taken care of," the release said.
The artisans were allegedly too scared to tell the truth as they claimed to have been warned by Sawant about police action and imprisonment. They were said to have been lured by the promise of US citizenship. Following the warning, a dozen of plaintiffs decided to withdraw their complaint and to remove their names from the case. They sought Aaditya Soni's help in order to take the matter to the American courts and attorneys. "The artisans have now withdrawn from the case and have voluntarily withdrawn their claims in the court. Though their previous attorneys were informed three weeks ago, they are yet to submit this withdrawal to the court," the release said.
The statement claimed that notarized affidavits, videotaped interviews, and statements in the presence of advocates support their allegations.