‘BJP is actual anti-Hindu party’: Karnataka Congress hits back at the opposition on Endowments Bill

BJP said that Congress is only taxing the Hindu temples and asked why such tax slabs do not apply for other worship places of other religions.

Karnataka Congress slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for opposing ‘The Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Bill 2024’ which was passed in the state assembly on Thursday, and called the BJP an actual ‘anti-Hindu’ party. The congress ministers stressed that the new bill will benefit small temples and poor priests.

‘BJP is actual anti-Hindu party’: Karnataka Congress hits back at the opposition(Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

Speaking to reporters, Karnataka Muzrai minister Ramalinga Reddy said, “When they made amendments in 2011, they did not give any money for Dharmika Prishad. There were 34,000 temples at that time, which were generating up to ₹5 lakh revenue. There were about 193 'B grade' temples that were generating revenue of ₹5L to ₹10L, which were supposed to give 5%. More than ₹10 Lakhs, there were about 205 temples. They approved this amendment when they were in power. BJP is actually an ‘anti Hindu’ party. We are trying to develop the temples and uplift poor priests.”

The latest amendment proposes the establishment of a ‘Common Pool Fund’ under the Hindu religious institutions and charitable endowments department, enabling the government to collect taxes from temples based on their revenues. As per the bill, the government will levy a 10% tax on temples with revenues exceeding ₹1 crore, and a 5% tax on those generating revenues between ₹10 lakh and ₹1 crore.

Another minister Dinesh Gundu Rao also said that the Congress is working to the benefit of Hindu temples. “The new tax slabs will help the smaller temples to get financial aid which will ultimately be used for their benefits. This will also help in implementing special welfare schemes to the families of temple priests. In all possible ways, the Congress government is trying to help the Hindu temples, and BJP is unable to digest it,” Rao added.

Meanwhile, the BJP said that Congress is only taxing the Hindu temples and asked why such tax slabs do not apply for other worship places of other religions.