In a decision long awaited, the Karnataka government has ordered that no funds from the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (HRCE) Department also known as Muzrai department be used to fund any non-Hindu religious institutions, reports Swarajya.
Various Hindu groups and leaders showed outrage against the distribution of ‘tastik’ money from the HRCE to priests and staff of other religious institutions.
Minister for Muzrai Kota Srinivas Poojary directed that henceforth such financial support from the department be halted with immediate effect.
In a media address, Poojary said that “until our government came to power, ‘tastik’ amount meant for temples was also being provided to other religious institutions. Upon receiving this information we have directed that all utilisation of funds for non-Hindu purposes be stopped immediately,”.
As per reports, 764 other non-Hindu religious institutions are recipients of the ‘tastik’ and this will now be stopped with immediate notice as instructed by the Minister.
In a statement, the HRCE Commissioner informed that a total of ₹133 crore is spent annually on ‘tastik’ distribution which covers around 27,000 Hindu temples in the state.
Hindu organisations had opposed the distribution of Covid compensation to imams of mosques from the funds of the HRCE department after Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had announced a relief package of ₹500 crore which involved a one-time compensation to ‘archakas’ and staff of C-grade temples as well as Imams and muezzins of mosques.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) welcomed the compensation to priests, however, they opposed the government’s move to sanction funds of the HRCE to mosques and condemned this decision of the government.
In its appeal to Poojary, VHP said it “opposes the decision of the government to provide Covid pandemic relief to the imams of 41 mosques and madrasas of the district from the funds of Hindu Religious Endowment,”.
According to the VHP, it wants the government withdraw its orders immediately and emphasied the funds from ‘daivasthanas and temples’ should only be used for the Hindu community. “It should not be used for mosques and madrasas. We condemn this decision of the state BJP government,” said the appeal further.
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