BENGALURU: The legislative assembly, for the second time in 10 days on Thursday, passed the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which tweaks the matrix to enhance contribution to a common pool from
state-owned temples
. The
Congress govt
decided to reintroduce the bill in the
assembly
after it was defeated in the legislative council by the combined BJP-JD(S) opposition.
The contentious piece of legislation will now proceed directly to the governor — bypassing the council — for final approval. Once approved, it will become a law.
BJP and JD(S) had branded the bill “anti-Hindu”, alleging that the govt intends to uses temple funds to support other religions. But muzrai minister R Ramalinga Reddy, while piloting the bill, said the opposition was spreading misinformation. Congress had earlier emphasised that the current amendment merely tweaks a matrix which the BJP-led govt had introduced in 2011.
Reddy urged the assembly to reconsider and pass the bill once more, emphasising the need to rectify misconceptions that led to its previous rejection in the council. Speaker UT Khader then put the bill to a vote. Congress commands 134 MLAs in the 223-member assembly.
BJP and JD(S) members were absent when the bill was passed. They had walked out in protest earlier in the day, demanding the resignation of the govt over alleged inaction over the purported incident of pro-Pakistan slogans being raised after the election of Congress member Syed Nasir Hussain to the Rajya Sabha.
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