Online campaign to stop temple donations after Karnataka govt amends endowment law

BENGALURU: After the Congress government passed the ‘Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Bill 2024’ in the Assembly on Wednesday, citizens have expressed anger over use of temple funds and started a #NoHundiKanike campaign online.

The Bill allows the government to collect 10 per cent from temples that have revenue exceeding Rs 1 crore and 5 per cent from those which have revenue between Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore. Devotees are now calling for stopping donations to temples which come under the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Muzrai) Department and are suggesting that donation can be made to the poor or to goshalas instead.

Many social media users also pointed out that the Bill allows the government to appoint non-Hindus on Temple trusts.

Mohan Gowda of Hindu Janajagruthi Samiti said, “The amendment Bill has many provisions which are anti-Hindu. There are about 200 temples in the state whose annual revenue is over Rs 1 crore and this is a conspiracy to loot the temples. The rules don’t mention Hindu religious institutions and the government can divert the temple funds to mosques, dargahs or churches”.

Mohan Gowda of Hindu Janajagruthi Samiti.

He also pointed out, “The state and district endowment committees will include officials like the DC, AC, Forest, Tourism departments, ASI, who can belong to different religions, as members. The government, through the officials, is planning to loot the temples. The amendment should be scrapped, or else the Hindu Janajagruthi Samiti and temples federation will launch a statewide agitation”.