Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Thursday hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the grand old party-led Karnataka government after it passed the contentious Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Bill 2024' which mandates the state to collect 10% tax from temples having revenue exceeding ₹1 crore and 5% which have revenue between ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore.
Chandrasekhar said that the bill is a new low of appeasement politics and has been brought to fund the accounts of chief minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar.
Read here: 'Anti-Hindu': BJP slams Karnataka government for 10 percent tax on temples
"Rahul Gandhi is holding Bharat Jodo Yatra in the country. His Congress party government in Karnataka has brought the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the assembly to fund the the ATM of DK Shivakumar & Siddaramaiah. This is a new low of appeasement politics. We will oppose this bill," he said in a video message.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised the bill and slurred the state government of being "anti-hindu" for implementing such policies. Party's state unit chief Vijayendra Yediyurappa alleged that the government passed the bill to replenish its depleted coffers.
{{/usCountry}}The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised the bill and slurred the state government of being "anti-hindu" for implementing such policies. Party's state unit chief Vijayendra Yediyurappa alleged that the government passed the bill to replenish its depleted coffers.
{{/usCountry}}"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 long post on X.
He further questioned that why only Hindu temples are being scrutinised and not the incomes of other religions.
Meanwhile, state government minister and Congress leader Ramalinga Reddy reacted to Yediyurappa's claims and questined the saffron camp of consistently engaging in religious politics.
He accused the BJP of pursuing political gains by labeling the Congress as anti-Hindu. Reddy asserted that the Congress has consistently protected temples and Hindu interests over the years.
"Sri Vijayendra Yediyurappa, It is clear that BJP, always pursue political gains by claiming that Congress is anti-Hindu. However, we, the Congress, consider ourselves the true proponents of Hinduism because, over the years, Congress governments have consistently safeguarded temples and Hindu interests," he said.
He asserted that the people of Karnataka are aware of the BJP's tactics, and in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, they will likely "teach them a lesson".
(With inputs from ANI)