Bengaluru: A bill mandating a 10 per cent tax on the income of temples with revenues of more than ₹ 1 crore was defeated in the state legislative council late last evening, dealing a blow to the Karnataka government led by Congress. This occurs two days following the state assembly’s passage of the bill.
The bill created a great deal of controversy in Karnataka, where the Congress was accused of ‘anti-Hindu’ policies by the opposition BJP.
In the Karnataka legislative council, or Upper House, the National Democratic Alliance, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, has a larger majority than the ruling government. There is one independent candidate, thirty MLCs from the Congress, thirty from the BJP, and eight from the JD(S). There is a vacancy in the council seat.
The Karnataka government passed ‘Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Amendment Bill 2024’ that mandates the state to collect 10 per cent tax from temples that have revenues exceeding ₹ 1 crore and 5 pe rcent from those with revenues ranging between ₹ 10 lakh and ₹ 1 crore.
State ministers Dinesh Gundu Rao and Ramalinga Reddy defended the government’s bill amendments after they faced criticism and attacked the BJP for opposing them.
Minister for Transport, Ramalinga Reddy alleging that BJP is “anti-Hindu” claimed that the party which was in power in 2011 had made the amendments to the bill.
“We are not anti-Hindu. Actually, the BJP is anti-Hindu. This Act came into existence in 2003. In 2011, they made some amendments. At that time, up to ₹ 5 lakh, there were about 34,000 temples – they did not give any money for Dharmika Parishad. From ₹ 5 Lakhs to ₹ 10 Lakhs, there are about 193 ‘B grade’ temples – they have to give 5 per cent. More than ₹ 10 Lakhs, there are about 205 temples – they have to give 10 per cent. They approved this amendment in 2011 in the Assembly. Who is anti-Hindu? BJP,” he said.
Minister for Health Dinesh Gundu Rao said that the BJP should realise the bill is for the benefit of the temples, alleging that when the government is trying to help smaller temples, the BJP is trying to mislead.
Former Chief Minister and BJP veteran BS Yediyurappa questioned why only Hindu temples are being scrutinized and not the incomes of other religions after the bill was approved by the state legislature.
The claims made about the bill’s amendments, according to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, “look to be misrepresented,” “aiming only at misleading the public,” and “polarizing people along communal lines for political leverage.”
Read More:
