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After row, Karnataka Min Ramalinga Reddy withdraws order that suspended grants to temples

Bengaluru: Grants to Karnataka temples suspended, but order withdrawn after protests by pro-Hindu organizations and BJP leaders.

Published on: Aug 19, 2023, 10:16:55 IST
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As the order suspending grants to Karnataka temples triggered controversy, Muzrai Department Minister Ramalinga Reddy instructed the officials to immediately withdraw the order suspending the grants. So protests against the suspension of grants by pro-Hindu organizations and BJP leaders were called off.

Karnataka minister Ramalinga Reddy. (Twitter/RLR_BTM)
Karnataka minister Ramalinga Reddy. (Twitter/RLR_BTM)

Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy confirmed to ANI and said that he has instructed the Commissioner to withdraw the order that stopped the grant of temples.

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Ramalinga Reddy said, "The Commissioner of Muzrai Department was just confused. There is no doubt of any illegality in the department. The work of any temple is not going to stop. The commissioner of our department got confused after asking for the status report and clarified that he was misunderstood."

Ramalinga Reddy further said that the religious endowment department (Muzrai) had instructed not to release the money if the temple renovation work has not yet started.

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"If administrative approval has been given for the release of 50% of the funds, it has been told to stop it immediately and not to release the grant. Thus the Commissioner of the Religious Endowment Department issued three directives to all District Collectors," he added.

Along with this, this order sparked anger in Hindu organizations. The BJP leaders had prepared to hold a protest. Following this, Ramalinga Reddy has now instructed the Commissioner of Muzrai Department to withdraw the order thus ending the debate.

  • Yamini C S
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Yamini C S

    Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More