Govt to move temple bill again on Monday in face of protests by BJP

The Karnataka Government will again table the bill to amend the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Act, 1997, in the assembly on Monday after the Opposition BJP defeated it in the Legislative Council on Friday.

“The BJP MLAs just gave some suggestions and let the bill pass in the assembly. But their own party MLCs voted against the bill in the Council,” Transport & Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy told ET on Sunday, while adding that the government would move the bill again.

The BJP has been spreading misinformation saying that the revenues earned at the temples would be diverted to institutions of other faith.This is the same law that the BJP government amended in 2011, and the government is only tweaking the share of income to be parted with for the development of poorer temples, Reddy said.


Some of the temples have been getting a large number of visitors due to the successful implementation of Shakti, a free bus ride scheme for women, he added.

Ever since the BJP stepped up the attack on the Congress saying that it was trying to divert temple funds, the Congress has resorted to a counter campaign by roping in stakeholders like temple priests and others and running their video messages on social media.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah himself has entered the scheme to counter the BJP’s allegations by posting these messages on his own handle on X as the Congress can ill-afford the BJP campaign to influence voters ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha polls months away.

The government would get about Rs 60 crore from rich temples and the entire money would go for the welfare of priests and temple employees including their housing, education benefits, and insurance, Muzrai minister said. This was a badly needed amendment to respond to the needs of priests and other temple employees, he added.

“(The) BJP leaders should be ashamed of their unethical practices. Their disservice to the people of Karnataka will never be forgiven. By misleading the public, BJP leaders want the youth of the country to abandon their jobs and fight an imaginary war, solely to benefit the BJP politically,” the CM had posted on X.

The CM denied any misallocation of funds for non-Hindu purposes or the imposition of unfair taxes.

BJP state president BY Vijayendra led the campaign by commenting in Mysuru, last week, that the government was breaking into rich temples as its coffers were running dry.