Temple tax bill controversy: BJP labels Cong “anti-Hindu,” and CM Siddaramaiah responds

The Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Bill 2024, which requires the government to collect 10% of revenue from temples whose revenue exceeds Rs 1 crore and 5% from temples whose revenue is between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore, was passed by the Congress State Government, which was criticized by the opposition BJP in Karnataka.

On Wednesday, the state Assembly approved the bill. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah retaliated against the BJP, claiming that the claims made about the Bill’s modifications seem to have been exaggerated for political purposes. “Ever since the Act was passed in 1997, there has been an obligation to establish a common pool,” he said. Additionally, according to Siddaramaiah, the common pool is only maintained for Hindu religious reasons.

According to the CM, since the Act’s implementation in 2003, the common pool money has only been utilized for religious reasons by Hindu organizations, and this would be the case going forward. He clarified, saying, “It has not been used for any other purposes or the benefit of followers of other religions.” He refuted claims that unreasonable levies were imposed or that cash were used for non-Hindu uses.

Endowment Minister Ramalinga Reddy attacked state BJP president BY Vijayendra, saying that it is obvious that the BJP uses the accusation that the Congress is anti-Hindu to further its political agenda. Reddy said, “Yet, since Congress governments have continuously protected temples and Hindu interests over the years, we, the Congress, consider ourselves the true proponents of Hinduism.”

Reddy said that money was taken from the temples that brought in the most money throughout the BJP’s terms of office from 2008 to 2013 and from 2019 to 2023. “It seems that they disregarded the income from Hindu temples and philanthropic trusts, even though there have been Acts or Bills since 2001. Thus, in terms of the income from Hindu temples, weren’t you also careless? Reddy enquired.

According to Vijayendra, this Bill demonstrates the State Government’s extreme hatred for the Hindu dharma in addition to reflecting its dismal state. “Instead of using temple funds for other purposes, which would be unfair and a betrayal of people’s religious beliefs, temple funds should be devotedly used for the renovation of temples and to facilitate the work beneficial to devotees,” Vijayendra said. Similar claims were also made by other BJP leaders.