VHP launches campaign against “govt control of temples”, cites “mindset of Muslim invaders, British”

The right-wing Hindu organisation, Vishva Hindu Parishad, on Tuesday, announced a campaign to free temples across the country from “government control,” claiming that the government’s takeover of temples reflects the mindset of “Muslim invaders” and “colonial” British.

“Governments are using temples to loot their wealth and to accommodate politicians who could not get a place in the government,” VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain told a press conference.

On Monday, the Hindutva organisation held a conference of seers in Tirupati and the temple board said “purification rituals” were performed “to restore the sanctity of the laddoo prasadams” in the backdrop of the controversy over the Tirupati Balaji Temple prasadam.

The Hindutva leader alleged adulteration of the prasadam with animal fat had made “the entire Hindu society angry.”

He called it “a criminal flirtation with the sentiments of the Hindu society.”

“The common link between all these episodes is that these are all temples under the control of governments. The only stable solution to the problem is freeing the temples from the control of governments and them being handed over to the society. The society will manage the temples under the guidance of saints,” said VHP joint general secretary Surendra Jain.

Jain said: Article 12 says the State has no religion. Then, who has given them the right to run temples? Article 25 and 26 give us the right to run our institutions. If minorities can run their institutions, then why not Hindus.”

“It appears there is a pattern. Muslim invaders destroyed temples and looted them. The British were smarter and took control of temples. This way they established an institutional system to loot the temples. Unfortunately, despite Independence, our politicians could not free themselves of this colonial mindset. Governments taking control of temples is a reflection of the same mindset. This loot must end now. Our slogan thus is: Hindu Money for Hindu Cause,” the Hindutva leader added.

Jain also claimed there were more than 400 temples under the Tamil Nadu government alone and alleged that “in the past 10 years, the state has shown losses of Rs 50,000 crore in these temples.”

However, he couldn’t provide any evidence. It is noted that many allege that Hindutva organizations are spreading false information regarding temples to incite Islamophobia and religious animosity in society.

The Hindutva organisation which was accused of orchestrating anti-Muslim riots across country announced that they will hold protest rallies in all state capitals and give a memorandum of demands to the chief ministers. “If needed, even legal steps will; be taken after that. And if this does not suffice, then we could even launch a movement in the future,” the saffron leader said.