Thiruvananthapuram: Retired Supreme Court Justice Indu Malhotra’s remark that communist governments have taken over Hindu temples and are doing this for the purpose of income.
Devaswom Minister K. Radhakrishnan said that it was not based on facts and arose out of misunderstanding.
Communist Party of Kerala LDF No Hindu temple has been taken over by the government. The struggles waged by the communist parties to win the right to worship for all sects of Hinduism is a part of the country’s history. Left-wing governments led by the Communist Party have taken steps to protect the worship and beliefs of all sects.
The minister said that during the time of the Left governments, steps were taken to convert the people who were once denied entry even to the temple premises into temple workers, to reclaim the alienated Devaswom land and to pay the temple workers in a systematic manner.
The long-standing campaign by extremist Hindu forces that the temple revenue was siphoned off by the government may have influenced the retired high court judge as well. The government has not yet taken over the revenue of any temple. On the contrary, the reality is that the government provides the necessary financial assistance for the running of the Devaswom Boards.
When the flood and covid caused a major crisis in the income of the Devaswom Boards, the state government allocated Rs 449 crores to the various Devaswom Boards within five years from 2018 to 2022, both through budgetary allocation and non-budgetary allocation, to carry out day-to-day operations and pay staff salaries. The Left Democratic Front government is currently prioritizing the efficient execution of massive development projects like the Sabarimala Masterplan and the provision of smooth pilgrimage facilities.
In this situation, it is an attempt to see if the people can be completely misled and turned against the Left government. Conducted by Justice Indu Malhotra. The minister also stated that it is clear from such statements how Justice Indumalhotra’s mind worked when he was a judge in the Supreme Court.