Karnataka to bring temple tax bill again, in assembly

BENGALURU: A week after Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was passed in Karnataka assembly, Congress govt is likely to introduce the contentious bill again in the Lower House in the wake of the bill getting defeated in the Upper House.

The bill rejigs the existing matrix to collect more taxes from earnings of state-owned temples. The bill was rejected in the legislative council last week, two days after being passed in the assembly, with BJP and JD(S) branding it anti-Hindu and alleging that it was a scheme to divert revenue from temples to other religions. While Congress has a majority in the legislative assembly, BJP-JD(S) combine account for 42 seats in the 75-member legislative council.

Rules state that if a bill is rejected by the council, govt has the option of passing it again in the assembly and then send it directly to governor for assent, bypassing the council. With Congress commanding 134 MLAs in the 223 assembly (the demise of Surpur MLA Raja Venkatappa Naik leaves one seat vacant), the bill is expected to sail through again.

Minister for Muzrai (the department which controls govt temples in the state) Ramalinga Reddy as well as law minister HK Patil said govt was determined to ensure the bill becomes a law. "BJP is unnecessarily politicising the bill and attributing communal angles to it," said Reddy.

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