Temples in Karnataka lost Rs 600 cr during lockdown: Minister
Mangaluru: The temples coming under the Muzrai department in Karnataka suffered a loss of Rs 600 crore revenue during the lockdown period due to the pandemic, state Muzrai Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said Monday.
Addressing reporters here, he said the Kollur Sri Mookambika temple alone lost revenue of at least Rs 14 crore during April and May.
Around 300 A and B grade temples under Muzrai (Hindu religious institutions and charitable endowments) department in the state lost around 35 percent of their annual income, he said.
The state government had earlier allowed temples to reopen from Monday but later postponed it to June 8 in keeping with the new directions of the Centre.
The minister said the governments 'Saptapadi mass marriage program in temples, postponed due to the lockdown, will be held as per the new guidelines issued by the government.
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has given permission to hold the program.
The marriages are proposed to be held in batches with 50 people in attendance at different timings, he said.
The minister said around five lakh food packets were distributed from temples in Dakshina Kannada during the lockdown period.
Poojary, Dakshina Kannada district-in-charge, said all precautionary measures have been taken ahead of the monsoon to protect lives and property in the district in view of the forecast of a heavy downpour.
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Prajwal Revanna raped me at gunpoint and made videos, alleges JD(S) worker
Bengaluru, May 3: The Criminal Investigation Department investigating the sexual abuse allegations against JD(S) leader and NDA’s Hassan Lok Sabha candidate Prajwal Revanna has registered a case of rape against him, based on the complaint by a party worker.
The CID booked Prajwal, grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, after a JD(S) worker from Hassan lodged a complaint against him.
Besides the rape charges, the CID invoked sections against Prajwal pertaining to voyeurism, disrobing and making videos and taking photographs by threatening the complainant.
In the complaint, the woman said Prajwal had raped her at gunpoint and made videos on his mobile phones. She said Prajwal had taken her to the MP quarters where he perpetrated the crime at gunpoint and threatened that he would kill her as well as her husband, if she revealed to anyone what he had done.
ALSO READ: Deve Gowda, wife upset by allegations of sexual abuse against Prajwal: HD Kumaraswamy
The accused allegedly forced her to satisfy his lust whenever he demanded, and threatened to make her video public if she did not cooperate.
Prajwal is facing allegations of sexually abusing several women. The state government-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) is investigating the case.
Scores of explicit video clips allegedly involving the 33-year-old MP sexually abusing several women had started making the rounds in recent days.
Prajwal is the BJP-JD(S) alliance's candidate from the Hassan Lok Sabha constituency where polling was held on April 26, after which he left the country on a diplomatic passport.
The JD(S) had joined the NDA in September last year.
The JD(S) leadership has suspended Prajwal from the party.
