Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan (BAPS) has responded to the lawsuit filed in the United States of America alleging forced labour for construction of temple as well as human trafficking.
As per a statement, BAPS said, worship through seva is integral part of Bhakti in the sect and volunteers from around the world contribute for the same. The volunteers who take part in such construction activities of the temple regularly interact with people who come to visit. They are also regularly in touch with their family members back home.
BAPS further stated that many of the artisans then went back home while some chose to stay back and perform seva at other temples in the US. “When the artisans have come to the US they have done so on R-1 visa, which the federal government has approved for 20 years. In addition, federal, state and local government agencies have regularly inspected and approved all of the mandir construction projects on which the artisans volunteered,” the statement reads.
BAPS reiterated that major religious facilities maintain adequate security to ensure safety of worshippers, visitors and volunteers and no fences or security guards prevent anyone including the artisans from leaving. The statement further stated that the organisation is handling the legal matter with a team of experts and once again reiterated that the BAPS did not indulge in human trafficking.
Lawsuit against BAPS on allegations of forced labour and human trafficking
In May this year, a group of Indian workers in US had filed a lawsuit alleging human trafficking and forced labour and had claimed they were confined and forced to work for as low as USD 1 on construction of the Swaminarayan temple in New Jersey’s Robbinsville. BAPS was accused of luring labourers from India to work on temples near Atlanta, Chicago Houston and Los Angeles along with New Jersey while paying only USD 450 a month.
However, BAPS has officially denied all the allegations.
