Government allays fears about take over of mutts

Facing opposition from heads of various religious mutts, the state government on Monday sought to allay fears that the government plans to take over mutts and temples through a bill to amend the relevant law.

"The government does not have any intention to take over mutts and temples by way of a bill...," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra said. The Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill of 2014 was introduced in the just concluded legislature session, amid stiff opposition from BJP which termed it an attempt to interfere in the affairs of Hindu religious institutions. Reading out a clause from the bill, Jayachandra said, "the religious heads of various mutts and temples should not be worried because mutts will be taken over only if the head of the institution voluntarily applies for doing so, or if the head of the mutt is a minor without a duly appointed guardian or is physically or mentally unable to manage the affairs of the mutt."

Also mutts will be taken over if the head of the mutt expires without appointing any successor or if there is dispute regarding the right of succession, Jayachandra said.

But when it was brought to minister's notice that the proposed bill also empowers the government to take over the mutts merely on complaints filed by disciples also, he said, "The government has just introduced the bill in the House. We have not passed it. We will seek public opinion and debate over the proposed bill and then take a decision." Jayachandra said the reason for introducing the bill in the House was one of legal compulsion.

"We introduced the bill in the House due to legal compulsion. The Supreme Court will be giving their final verdict on a special leave petition filed by the then JDS-BJP government in connection with a suit involving Sahasra Lingeshwara Swamy Devasthana at Uppinangadi in Dakshina Kannada," he said.

Religious heads of various temples and mutts have come out strongly against the bill which they contended was draconian with an intention to take control of the Hindu religious institutions.

Some seers also contended that such a law never came to the minds of erstwhile Moguls, British and Nizam governments.

Meanwhile, some 400 seers who assembled in Kalaburgi are planning to take a delegation to New Delhi to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi and demand removal of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.