By Nagarjun Dwarakanth
The Karnataka government has withdrawn its decision to pay allowances to Muslim clerics as Covid-19 relief in the state from the funds of the Hindu religious endowment department (Muzrai department). The move comes after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) opposed the decision.
Due to the Covid-19 lockdown, the government had planned to provide financial relief of Rs 3,000 to the imams of 41 mosques and madrasas in Dakshina Kannada district along with temple priests serving in the ‘C’ category of temples.
However, in a memorandum submitted to the state Muzrai minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, VHP said that “money received from temples should be utilised for temples and welfare of the Hindu community only”.
VHP leader Pradeep Sharma said, “Hindu department money cannot be used for other religions. I demand that the minister revokes the plan of giving it to masjids.”
Minister Poojary then issued a statement on the matter, saying, “We will not give one paisa of temple money to other religions. Money from temple devotees will be used only for the development of Hindu temples. Our government will develop temples through the department’s money and it will not be misused.”
The opposition Congress slammed the state government and VHP for making an issue out of this.
Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad said, “Did the Muslim community ask for this grant? Did Congress ask for this? The BJP themselves gave it and are now taking it back. Don’t insult people like this. You say ‘sabka saath sabka vikas’ and then you do this. Have a heart.”
This story was first appeared on indiatoday.in