New Delhi: The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Tuesday vowed to free temples from government control across the country and said it will soon launch a nationwide campaign to achieve this goal.
Addressing a press conference here, VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain asserted that the organisation will also approach the court if state governments do not hand over the temples to Hindu society.
“From today it is our resolve to free temples from government control across the country and hand them over to the society.
"For this, first demonstrations and agitations will be held in every state and our memorandum will be submitted to the governors through the respective chief ministers,” he said.
Legal recourse will also be taken to seek justice, wherever required, he said. “And, if necessary, we will launch a movement in future,” he added.
Jain contended that state governments keeping temples under their control was a violation of the Constitution and courts "have been repeatedly saying that running temples is not the job of the governments”.
He said Tirupati temple in Andhra Pradesh is not just one temple from where reports about the use of animal fat in the making of 'parasadam' came.
“Earlier, there was a complaint from Sabarimala temple (in Kerala) also. Similar kinds of impure substances had been mixed in payasam (consecrated food) there,” he claimed.
There have been also reports of "financial irregularities and misuse" of properties of temples under the control of state governments across the country, he added.
“What is common that we find in all these incidents is that these are the temples that have been captured by the respective state governments.
"Both bureaucracy and politicians are indulging in loot and playing with the sentiments of Hindus,” he alleged.
In Tamil Nadu alone, Jain said, more than 400 temples are under the government’s control.
“A survey conducted by an NGO had found that these 400 temples generate a revenue of Rs 6000 crore per annum, but they show just Rs 200 crore income and Rs 270 crore expenditure.
"In the last ten years, a loss of Rs 50,000 crore has been shown in Tamil Nadu alone,” he alleged
“Earlier, the Rajasthan government under Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had given away Rs 9.82 crore of Govind Dev Mandir for Eidgah,” he added.
Jain said that the state governments exercising control over the temples is a symbol of “colonial mindset and slavery”.
“When minorities can run their institutions, why not Hindus”, he argued.
On the Tirupati laddu row, the VHP functionary demanded that a judicial probe be conducted into the matter and the strictest punishment be given to those involved in the desecration of prasadam.
He said that an SIT probe, set up by the Andhra Pradesh government, would not be adequate enough to ascertain the truth.
“Probe into one or another incident is not a permanent solution.
Freeing temples from government control is the only permanent solution. The courts have been repeatedly saying that running temples is not the job of the governments,” he added.
“Article 12 of the Constitution stipulates that the state has no religion. Then who gave them power to manage temples and run temples?
"Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution allow us to run our institutions,” he said.
“Foreign invaders demolished Hindus’ temples, looted their treasure and property. The British captured the temples and established a permanent system for loot.
"Unfortunately, politicians of this country have not been able to free themselves from the colonial mindset and slavery even after Independence,” he charged.