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Bengaluru, Feb 22: The Karnataka government's move to collect funds from temples with over Rs 10 lakh annual income has angered the opposition BJP, which charged the ruling Congress with trying to fill its 'empty coffers' with temple money. A related Assembly bill was passed on Wednesday.

Defending the move as aimed at ensuring welfare of different sections, the Congress sought to turn the tables on its rival saying the saffron party had effected an amendment in 2011 to seek funds from high-income Hindu shrines.

The Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill was passed in the state Assembly on February 21.

Regarding the bill, the government said it was necessary to enhance the amount of common pool fund, include a person skilled in Vishwa Hindu Temple architecture and sculpture in the committee of management of notified institutions and to form district and state-level committees to improve shrines and infrastructure for the safety of pilgrims.

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Transport and Hindu Religious Endowments minister Ramalinga Reddy told reporters that the provision was not new but has existed since 2003.

He also said an amendment was brought by the then BJP government in 2011 to collect funds from high income group temples.

Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act 1997 came into force on May 1, 2003 and provisions were made for Common Pool Fund under Section 17 of the said Act, he explained.

Common Pool Fund was implemented in the year 2003 itself. Section 17 of the Act was amended in 2011 to collect funds from high income group temples so as to aid temples with lesser income under the said fund.

The Rajya Dharmika Parishad, a committee to improve the temple management for the benefit of pilgrims, is authorised to utitlise Common Pool, Reddy said.

According to him, there were 3,000 C-Grade temples in Karnataka, which have an annual income of less than Rs 5 lakh from where the 'Dharmika Parishad' gets no money.

Temples earning between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 25 lakh were classified as B-grade temples, from where 5 per cent of the gross income had been going to the committee since 2003.

The Dharmika Parishad had been getting 10 per cent revenue from those temples whose annual gross income was above Rs 25 lakh since 2003.

"Now what we have done is we have made it free from paying to Dharmika Parishad if the income is up to Rs 10 lakh. We have made provisions to collect five per cent from temples whose gross income is between Rs 10 lakh and less than a crore. 10 per cent will be collected from temples whose income is above Rs 1 crore. All this amount will reach the Dharmika Parishad," Reddy said.
The Minister said there are 40,000 to 50,000 priests in the state whom the state government wants to help.

"If the money reaches Dharmika Parishad then we can provide them insurance cover. We want their families to get at least Rs 5 lakh if something happens to them. To pay the premium we need Rs 7 crore to 8 crore (annually)," he explained.

The Minister said the government wants to provide scholarships to children of temple priests, which would require Rs 5-6 crore per year and housing facilities for C group priests and temple employees.

"This entire amount will benefit the temple priests only, many of whom are in poor condition," he said.

Government sources said the purpose behind the bill is to provide facilities and safety to pilgrims within the jurisdiction of Group 'A' temples.

A district level and state high-level committee will be constituted to scrutinise, review and submit the proposals regarding the construction and maintenance of buildings, roads and tunnels, electricity supply and maintenance, water supply and sanitation, construction of recreation centres and libraries to provide necessary facilities to pilgrims and to provide safety to pilgrims within the jurisdiction of Group "A" Temples, they added.

Taking exception to the move, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said, "Corrupt, inept #LootSarkaar with its penchant for anti-Hindu ideology in the guise of secularism, has cast its evil eyes on the temple revenues."

"Through the Hindu Religious Endowments amendment act, it is trying to siphon-off donations as well as offerings from Hindu temples and religious institutions in order to fill its empty coffers," he said in a post on 'X.'

The Shivamogga MLA said the the government plans to "gobble" up 10 per cent of the temple revenue exceeding Rs 1 crore and 5 percent of those below Rs 1 crore.

"This not only reflects the deplorable condition of this government, but also shows its abject hate towards Hindu Dharma," he charged.

Temple funds should be dedicatedly utilised for renovation of temples and to facilitate work beneficial to devotees, rather than diverting it for other purposes, which would be an injustice and betrayal of people's religious beliefs, the BJP state chief said.

Why only Hindu temples are targeted for revenue, leaving out other religions, is a question raised by millions of devotees, he said.

"Instead of grabbing the devotees' money, government can install donation boxes so that the concerned citizens can help this penniless govt boost its revenue as a gesture of goodwill," he stated.

Union Minister and BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar too slammed the Congress government in the state over the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Bill and called it a "new low" for the state's ruling party.

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Bhopal/Indore, May 13 (PTI): Madhya Pradesh Minister and BJP leader Vijay Shah has sparked a major controversy with objectionable comments that appeared to be directed at Col Sofia Qureshi, whom he tried to project as a "sister of terrorists."

Under severe flak, Shah said if anyone is hurt by his statement, he is ready to apologise ten times, adding that he respects Colonel Qureshi more than his sister.

The Congress has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Shah from the Madhya Pradesh cabinet.

Colonel Qureshi had conducted regular press briefings, sharing details of the 'Operation Sindoor' launched by Indian armed forces to strike terrorists, joined by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh.

"Those people (terrorists) who had wiped out the sindoor (vermilion) of our sisters (in the Pahalgam terror attack)..We avenged these 'kate-pite' people by sending their sister to destroy them," Shah said.

"They (terrorists) killed our Hindu brothers by making them remove their clothes. PM Modi ji responded by sending their (terrorists') sister in an Army plane to strike them in their houses. They (terrorists) made our sisters widows, so Modiji sent the sister of their community to strip them and teach them a lesson", the BJP leader said while addressing a gathering in Ramkunda village near Indore.

He said, "Revenge was taken for the honour of our country (India), respect, and for the (slain) husbands of our sisters by sending a sister from your (terrorists') community to Pakistan".

The tribal welfare minister clarified that his remarks should not be construed otherwise.

Shah's remarks drew wide-scale condemnation, with Congress demanding his immediate dismissal from the MP cabinet.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said Shah, who made 'derogatory' remarks in reference to Colonel Sofia Qureshi, should be dismissed immediately.

"A minister of the BJP government of Madhya Pradesh has made a very derogatory, shameful and cheap remark about our brave daughter Colonel Sofia Qureshi. The terrorists of Pahalgam wanted to divide the country, but the country was united during the entire 'Operation Sindoor' to give a befitting reply to the terrorists," Kharge posted on X.

He alleged that the BJP-RSS harbours an anti-women mentality.

"First, the wife of the naval officer martyred in Pahalgam was trolled on social media, then the daughter of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri was harassed, and now the BJP ministers are making such indecent comments about our brave woman Sophia Qureshi," Kharge said and appealed to PM Modi to immediately sack Shah.

Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari shared the video of Shah on X and asked whether the BJP agrees with the minister's "low thinking"?

The MP Congress Committee alleged that Shah's "indecent' and hate-filled" statement is not just a personal attack, but an open attack on India's military dignity, national unity, and women's honour.

Amid the raging controversy, the BJP's Madhya Pradesh general secretary Hitanand Sharma summoned Shah to the state headquarters in Bhopal.

According to sources, Sharma reprimanded the minister, who also met the state BJP president, Vishnu Dutt Sharma.

Speaking to reporters, Shah sought to attribute the intemperate remarks to his "disturbed" state of mind in view of the brutal killing of innocent people in Pahalgam by terrorists.

He claimed many members of his family have a military background and many were martyred.

"Sister Sophia has brought glory to India by rising above caste and religion. She is more respected than our own sister. I salute her for her service to the nation.

"We cannot even think of insulting her in our dreams. Still, if my words have hurt society and religion, then I am ready to apologise ten times,'' he added.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Manoj Shukla and the party workers blackened the nameplate of Shah at his bungalow and raised slogans seeking his resignation.

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