Hindu Munnani’s Tamil Nadu state vice-president VP Jayakumar issued a statement saying that the Tamil Nadu Government should provide relief in the name of temples that granted this relief.
The press release stated that the announcement by the Government of Tamil Nadu to provide food to the relatives of patients receiving corona treatment at the government hospital is welcome but objected to the fact that it is being given from the revenue of Hindu temples on behalf of the HR&CE Department.”
It stated that ‘Annadanam’ is being provided to the poor for many years in temples already under the control of the Department of HR&CE. “It is absurd that the newly-elected DMK government is now using the funds of Hindu temples for their own self-promotion, despite the fact that the Hon’ble High Court has repeatedly pointed out in several judgments that Hindu temple revenue should not be used for anything other than temple development works”, it added.
At the event to distribute food parcels at the Tirunelveli Government Hospital on behalf of the Department of HR&CE, the packets and banner contained pictures of the MK Stalin and Sekar Babu, the Minister of HR&CE. “The banner did not appear to have contained a picture of Swami Nellaiyappar or any of the temple offerings along with the parcels.”, it said.
The press release went on to say that the looting of temple revenue and property for political advertisements is extremely painful. “The food package has been made to look like something Stalin and the minister are offering in their own regard. This is highly reprehensible.”, the press release said.
Hindu Munnani has requested the Government of Tamil Nadu to act on behalf of the respective temple administrations in considering the scheme of distributing food parcels in hospitals in the name of the temple with the images of the deity and offerings so that the people will have faith in God and mental courage in fighting the disease.
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