A bill that would have taxed 10% of the income of temples making more than ₹ 1 crore was defeated today in the state legislative council. This was a loss for the Congress-led government in Karnataka.
Bengaluru: There was disappointing news for the Karnataka government run by the Congress party last night. A bill that would have taxed temples with incomes of more than ₹ 1 crore was shot down in the state legislative council. This happens two days after the bill was approved by the state assembly. The bill caused a huge uproar in Karnataka, where the rival BJP said the Congress was putting in place “anti-Hindu” policies.
The National Democratic Alliance, which is run by the BJP, has more seats in Karnataka’s legislative council, also known as the Upper House, than the current government. Thirty MLCs are from the Congress, thirty from the BJP, eight from the JD(S), and one by himself. There is an open spot on the council.
The Karnataka government passed the “Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Amendment Bill 2024“. This law says that temples with income over ₹ 1 crore must pay 10% tax to the state and temples with income between ₹ 10 lakh and ₹ 1 crore must pay 5% tax.
After the government’s changes to the bill got some bad press, state ministers Ramalinga Reddy and Dinesh Gundu Rao supported the move and said the BJP was wrong to oppose it.
As Minister for Transport, Ramalinga Reddy said that the BJP is “anti-Hindu” and that the changes to the bill were made by the party that was in power in 2011.
“We’re not against Hindus. The BJP is against Hindus. This Act was made law in 2003. They made some changes in 2011. Up to that point, about 34,000 temples gave no money to Dharmika Parishad, which was worth 5 lakh rupees. There are about 193 “B grade” temples that cost between 5 and 10 Lakhs. These temples have to repay 5%. Twenty-five temples must give ten percent, which costs more than ten lakh rupees.
Minister for Health Dinesh Gundu Rao told the BJP that they should understand that the bill is for the temples’ benefit. He also said that the BJP is trying to fool people when the government is trying to help smaller temples.
After the bill passed in the lower house of the state, BS Yediyurappa, a former Chief Minister and a veteran of the BJP, asked why only the incomes of Hindu churches are being looked at and not those of other religions.
According to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the claims about the changes to the bill “appears to be misrepresented” and are “only meant to mislead the public” and “divide people along communal lines for political gain.”
In this situation, Minister Ramalinga reddy tabled the Hindu Religious Institutions Act Amendment Bill in the Karnataka Upper House yesterday. 7 people voted in favor of this bill and 18 people voted against it. The bill was subsequently defeated. This has caused a setback for the ruling Congress government.
It is worth noting that the Congress does not have a majority in the Upper House. When the bill failed, BJP members chanted Jaisreeram. In response, the Congress members chanted Jai Bhim. Due to this there was a stir in the council for some time. The failure of the bill brought by the Congress government in the upper house has shocked Siddaramaiah.
