Withdraw provision to appoint persons from other religion in temple management: BJP to K’taka govt

Bengaluru, Feb 22 (IANS) The BJP has urged the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government to withdraw the provision in the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2024 allowing persons of other religions to become members of temple management. The new bill was tabled and consent was secured in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. Taking to social media, BJP said on Thursday that, as per the new bill, persons from other religions could become a part of the management of a temple.

According to the BJP, this move by the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reflects a malicious intent to dry the coffers of temples with the help of persons from other religions, similar to the way he has rendered the state’s treasury empty. The BJP also accused Siddaramaiah of using the money of Hindu temples for his own enjoyment and dirty appeasement politics.

In a statement directed at the Chief Minister, BJP said, “Mr. CM Siddaramaiah, you do not want Hindu gods. But, for enjoyment and pursue dirty appeasement politics you very much require the money of Hindu temples. The days are close when Hindus will teach you a befitting lesson.” The party also called for the reversal of the order enabling persons from other religions to become temple management members, and invoked historical figures in its criticism, saying, “Hindu Dharma had not spared Ghori and Ghazni. You are nothing. The Congress and CM Siddaramaiah are doing what Ghazni, Ghori, Aurangazeb and Tipu had done earlier.”

Additionally, the BJP brought attention to an order requiring temples to hand over a percentage of their income to the government, with the Congress government arguing that the money would be used to provide facilities to the priests and temple staff. The BJP, however, sees this as a way for the Congress party to loot Karnataka for appeasement politics and assembly elections of five states, with an “evil eye” set on the Hindu temples.

The passage of the amendment bill has sparked controversy and is at the center of a political dispute between the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP in Karnataka.

–IANS
mka/dpb