VHP announces to launch campaign against govt control over temples in India

Amid controversy over the Tirupati Balaji Temple prasadam, the right-wing Hindu organization, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) announced a campaign to free temples across the country from “government control,” claiming that the government’s takeover of temples reflects the mindset of “Muslim invaders” and “colonial” British.

“Governments are using temples to loot their wealth and to accommodate politicians who could not get a place in the government,” VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain told reporters on Sep 24. Jain alleged adulteration of the prasadam with animal fat at Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati Balaji Temple had made “the entire Hindu society angry.”

He called it “a criminal flirtation with the sentiments of the Hindu society.”

“The common link between all these episodes is that these are all temples under the control of governments. The only stable solution to the problem is freeing the temples from the control of governments and handing them over to society. The society will manage the temples under the guidance of saints,” said Jain.

Invoking Article 12, Jain said that the State has no religion. “Then, who has given them the right to run temples? Article 25 and 26 give us the right to run our institutions. If minorities can run their institutions, then why not Hindus.” he added.

The VHP joint general secretary alleged that Muslim invaders destroyed temples and looted them. “The British were smarter and took control of temples. This way they established an institutional system to loot the temples. Unfortunately, despite Independence, our politicians could not free themselves of this colonial mindset,” he said.

“Governments taking control of temples is a reflection of the same mindset. This loot must end now. Our slogan therefore is: Hindu Money for Hindu Cause,” the Hindutva leader added. Jain claimed there were over 400 temples under the Tamil Nadu government alone and alleged that “in the past 10 years, the state has shown losses of ₹50,000 crore in these temples.”

The Hindutva organization which was accused of orchestrating anti-Muslim riots across the country in the past announced that they will hold protest rallies in all state capitals and give a memorandum of demands to the chief ministers.

“Even legal steps will be taken if needed. And if this does not suffice, then we could even launch a movement in the future,” Jain said.