In Tamilnadu, a contentious issue surrounding the control of temples has ignited a heated debate between the state government and the Bharatiya Janata Party. The state’s Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department, which currently oversees temple management, has come under scrutiny, with calls from some quarters demanding the department to relinquish control over these religious institutions. In the midst of this ongoing debate, Minister P.K. Sekar Babu has responded with strong statements, shedding light on the government’s stance.
Minister Sekar Babu has said that the state government has successfully reclaimed temple properties worth a substantial Rs 700 crore from those advocating for the privatization of temples. In his response to questions raised in the State assembly, he stated, “The state government retrieved nine temple properties worth Rs 700 crore from a section of people who demand privatization of temples.”Â
Sekar Babu made a veiled attack on the BJP by suggesting that those who accuse the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR & CE) department of encroaching upon temples in Tamil Nadu are “intellectually blind.”Â