The Bharatiya Janata Party labelled the Congress-led government in Karnataka as "anti-Hindu" following the approval of the 'Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Bill 2024' in the state assembly on Wednesday. The bill mandates that the government will collect 10 percent of the income of temples that have revenue of more than Rs 1 crore and 5 percent from those with revenues ranging between ₹10 lakh and ₹1 crore.

Vijayendra Yediyurappa, the President of the Karnataka BJP, asserted that the Congress government aimed to replenish its dwindling funds by implementing anti-Hindu policies.

"The Congress government, which is adopting consistently anti-Hindu policies in the state, has now taken a crooked look at the revenue of Hindu temples and passed the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments bill to fill its empty coffers," he said on X.

He said the collected funds will be used for "another purpose".

"Under this, the government will collect 10% of the income from temples earning over ₹1 crore, this is nothing but poverty. The offering dedicated by the devotees for the knowledge of God and the development of the temple should be allocated for the renovation of the temple and for the convenience of the devotees. If it is allocated for another purpose, it is on the divine beliefs of the people. There will be violence and fraud," he added.

Yediyurappa also wondered why only Hindu temples are being targeted and not other religions.

Responding to the comments, Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy accused the BJP of injecting religion into politics. He emphasized that the Congress is genuinely committed to upholding Hinduism.

"Sri Vijayendra Yediyurappa, it is clear that BJP always pursues political gains by claiming that Congress is anti-Hindu. However, we, the Congress, consider ourselves the true proponents of Hinduism because, over the years, Congress governments have consistently safeguarded temples and Hindu interests," he said.

"Did your BJP government neglect its responsibilities between 2008 and 2013, as well as from 2019 to 2023? It seems they turned a blind eye to the revenues of Hindu religious institutions and charitable endowments, despite the existence of acts or bills in place since 2001," he added.

He further said, "The government isn't taking the money, it will be used for 'dharmic parishad' purposes."

The minister stated that the objectives of the 'dharmik parishad' included the upliftment of economically disadvantaged priests, the enhancement of C-grade temples, and the provision of quality education for the children of priests.

Image source: ANI