A full-page advertisement issued by Tamil Nadu’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department in the DMK mouthpiece Murasoli has triggered controversy after allegations were raised that temple funds were being misused for political promotion and unnecessary publication projects.
The advertisement, released by HR&CE Minister PK Sekarbabu, announced the publication of the fourth batch of rare Bhakti literature consisting of 500 devotional books, stating that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin would formally release them. The advertisement described the publication as being released “on behalf of the HR&CE Department.”
Allegations Over Use of Temple Funds
It is alleged that the claim in the advertisement is misleading and that the publication project is being financed through the Common Good Fund, a pool created from temple revenues and intended under law to support impoverished and dilapidated temples across Tamil Nadu.
Reportedly more than ₹100 crore from this fund has been diverted over the past several years for activities unrelated to temple restoration or direct religious services. It is alleged that the HR&CE Commissioner, an IAS officer responsible for administering the fund, sanctioned money for book publications that were not essential to temple administration.
It is argued that many of the texts being published are already available in digital form on public websites, suggesting that the department could have simply digitised and uploaded them for free rather than commissioning expensive print editions.
Questions Over Procurement and Distribution
The main point of criticism is the role of a publishing agency identified as Arasu Arts, which allegedly has repeatedly received orders for printing these books. It is alleged that the books are later supplied to major temples under HR&CE control and that temples with heavy footfall are instructed to sell them to devotees.
This system forces temples to purchase stock from the department before retailing the books, raising concerns about procurement transparency and the purpose of the publication exercise.
Political Imagery in Advertisement
Another point of controversy is the visual design of the advertisement itself. Alongside images of Chief Minister Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin, the poster includes portraits of prominent Dravidian movement leaders such as EV Ramasamy, CN Annadurai, and M Karunanidhi.
The inclusion of these figures in a government-funded advertisement promoting Hindu devotional literature raises ideological questions, if one considers the amount of criticism of Hindu scriptures and religious traditions expressed by leaders of the Dravidian movement.
I have seen Frauds looting temple funds in @tnhrcedept through politicians and officials in the last 5 governments in Tamil Nadu. The DMK Govt functioning from 2021 takes the cake.
The following is just an example:
HR&CE minister releasing a full page AD today in the… pic.twitter.com/klPbHcMIur— trramesh (@trramesh) March 4, 2026
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