BJP has slammed the Congress government in Karnataka after the state Assembly passed the ‘Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Bill 2024’ on Wednesday. According to the bill, temples with income between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore will pay 5 per cent to the government, while temples earning above Rs 1 crore will pay 10 percent. The bill has triggered a war of words between the ruling Congress and BJP.
BJP state unit chief BY Vijayendra portrayed this levy as the government’s plan to ‘gobble up’ temple revenue. Hitting back at BJP, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Vijayendra is a good fit for the post of BJP state chief as he is inclined to lying, and pointed out that funds collected from temples are used for the sole purpose of Hindu institutions and Hindu community welfare alone, and not for any other religious communities or purposes, contrary to the opposition party’s claims.
The chief minister said the levy has been misrepresented for political gain. There has always been a mandate to create a common pool since the enactment of the Act in 1997, he underlined. CM Siddaramaiah also shared a graphic on X that claimed to bust the “BJP’s fake news”. It said Hindu temples have contributed to a fund for religious activities. “The recent amendment was made solely to enhance the amount of the common pool,” Siddaramaiah said.
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Karnataka passes bill to tax temples in state, BJP slams Congress’ govt
