The fundamental difference between how the Congress and BJP want to manage temples in Karnataka has risen to the fore following the passage of an amendment by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government to the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1997, in the ongoing Budget Session of the state Assembly.
The amendment, which seeks to consolidate temple funds for their upkeep, has been interpreted by the BJP as proof of the state government taking control of temples. The conflict arrives just months before the Lok Sabha polls, with temples expected to be a resonant issue, particularly after the Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya last month.
What’s the amendment?
The amendment to the 1997 Act essentially intends to “enhance the amount of common pool funds” available to the government for the upkeep of nearly 35,000 temples in the state and for socio-religious work.
The Bill intended to divert “10% of the gross income of institutions whose gross annual income exceeds Rs 1 crore,” to a common pool for the maintenance of temples instead of the existing “10% of the net income of institutions whose gross annual income exceeds Rs 10 lakh”.
In addition, the amended law dedicates 5% of the income of institutions earning between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore to the common pool, changing the previous income bracket from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.
Incidentally, the common pool of funds generated by the diversion of revenues of wealthy temples is the main source of funding for smaller temples in Karnataka, apart from grants from the state government.
Introducing the amendment, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (also known as Muzrai) Minister Ramalinga Reddy said the common fund will be used to provide various amenities to temples, insurance cover and death relief to priests, and scholarships to children of around 40,000 priests’ families.
What is the BJP’s opposition?
The party, which lost power to the Congress in a comprehensive defeat last year, says the amendment shows the state government is setting out to “rob” temples, adding why only Hindu places of worship are being targeted.
BJP state president B Y Vijayendra has accused the Siddaramaiah government of “casting its eye” on the incomes of Hindu temples to fill its own coffers. “The question from crores of devotees is why is the government eyeing the incomes of Hindu temples when it is not interested in the revenue of other religions?” he said.
Leader of the Opposition R Ashok has said the Chief Minister is “stealing from the collection boxes of temples”, and described the amendment as the government looking to collect “10% commission from the income of temples”.
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said on social media that the amendments in the new Bill “infer that temple income can be used for anything”, going on to add that the funds could “potentially be used for building walls of a kabristan (cemetery)”.
Is it the first time the two parties have differed over the issue?
The row between the two parties over temple management first played out in 2022, when the BJP was in power.
In his Budget speech in March 2022, the then CM Basavaraj Bommai had made a commitment to “free temples from state control”, as sought by a section of the BJP. One of the primary reasons cited by BJP leaders was the allegation by right-wing groups that revenues from temples were being diverted for management of facilities of other religions in the state, including mosques.
The proposal by the then BJP government was opposed by the Congress and an association of priests, who argued that a majority of the temples in the state were too impoverished to fend for themselves. They also expressed apprehension that properties of big temples could be usurped by private temples.
“This is a plot to capture assets of 80% of the Hindu community and vest it with 2-3% percent of the community. If the government proceeds with the move, it will be an insult to the struggles of people for over 1,000 years in the state,” Siddaramaiah said at the time.
The Congress continues to advocate the management of temples by the state as a means to ensure equity between temples with high revenues and smaller temples in towns and villages. However, the BJP backs temple management by trusts – which in Karnataka are often dominated by leaders seen as partial towards the party.
How has temple funding differed across govts?
There are 34,563 temples falling under the purview of the Karnataka government at present, under three separate categories. According to government data from 2022, 205 temples under the Muzrai department earn up to Rs 25 lakh or more per annum, 139 earn up to Rs 10 lakh, and 34,219 temples earn less than Rs 5 lakh per annum.
A vast majority of the temples in Karnataka are thus heavily dependent on government grants for functioning. In fact, the previous BJP government had increased the tasdik allowance or land compensation paid per year to temples from Rs 48,000 to Rs 60,000 in 2022.
This was after ending it for non-Hindu religious institutions, like mosques, due to protests by Hindu groups. The move came despite the fact that tasdik was a state grant, and had nothing to do with temple revenues.
According to government data on grants to temples under the Muzrai department, between 2017 and 2022, the BJP when in power allocated the highest amount of funds for temples. While a BJP government allocated Rs 465 crore in 2020-21, the Congress grant was Rs 477 crore in 2017-18. In 2018-19, a Congress-Janata Party (Secular) coalition government allocated Rs 248 crore, followed by the BJP government’s allocation of Rs 294 crore in 2019-20.
What is the political significance of temple funding?
Political leaders cutting across parties have started providing funds for the upkeep of temples in their constituencies recently since the status of temples has emerged as a key indicator of the performance of elected representatives.
For instance, coinciding with the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya by Prime Minister Narendra Modithe Karnataka government ordered pujas at over 100 Ram temples in the state. Siddaramaiah, who claimed he had built a Ram temple in his village, said he would offer prayers there rather than travel to Ayodhya.
“The allegations regarding the Karnataka government’s amendment to the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Act appear to be misrepresented for political gain. There has always been a mandate to create a common pool since the enactment of the Act in 1997,” Siddaramaiah said in response to the latest row over managing temples.
“The baseless allegations by BJP leaders are aimed only at misleading the public and polarising people along communal lines for political leverage. BJP leaders should be ashamed of their unethical practices,” he added.
