“Sai Baba's disciples can worship him in a temple dedicated only to him…some people who had no knowledge of Sanatan Dharma had installed Sai Baba's idols in other temples,” he added.

Sharma said that the idol of a dead man should not be installed in temples. “It is not allowed in Sanatan Dharma…the idols of only five gods and goddesses – Surya, Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and Ganesha – were allowed to be installed and worshiped in the temples,” he noted.

Sharma said that the idols of Sai Baba would be removed from Bhooteshwar and Agasteshwar temples in the next few days.

Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopananda Sarswati had also spoken out against the worship of Saibaba, saying that the latter was not a Hindu god. “Saibaba is not mentioned in the ancient scriptures,” he had said. Acharya Dheerendra Shastri of Bageshwar Dham had also said that Saibaba could be worshiped as a 'Mahatma' but not as a God.

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and UP Legislative Council member Ashutosh Sinha termed the removal of Sai Baba idols from temples as a “political ploy” by the BJP. “Sai Baba is widely respected in Maharashtra…the Hindu religion is an inclusive religion…over the centuries it has accepted a variety of thoughts,” Sinha said