Belagavi: The state government on Saturday tabled a Bill that empowers it to ‘take over’ administration of religious mutts across the state.
The move by the Congress government to ‘take over’ mutts in a clandestine manner has left the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party leaders fuming. Stumped by the sudden move, the BJP leaders have decided to take state wide battle against the bill.
Opposition leader Jagadish Shettar while speaking to reporters said, “Their meticulous plan to introduce such a controversial bill in a hurried manner itself proves their hidden agenda to take control of mutts and religious organisations. All the swamijis of mutts across the state will rally against this decision and BJP also strongly condemn this decision of the government.”
The latest amendment to the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act 1997 now empowers the government to ‘take over the possession and management of any mutt’ under various circumstances.
The move to include mutts under the purview of the Act was a fallout of the state government’s Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court in a suit involving Sahasra Lingeshwara Swamy Devasthan, Uppinangadi in Dakshina Kannada (WA 3440/2005).
As the per the new act, the state government can take over a mutt if the head of the mutt voluntarily applies for the take-over or places the property of the mutt under the management of the government, if the head of the mutt is a minor without a duly appointed guardian or is physically or mentally unable to manage the affairs of the mutt, if the head of the mutt expires without appointing any successor or if there is dispute regarding the right of succession. The government, according to the new act, can take over the mutts on the grounds of mere complaint by disciples or any other persons interested in any mutt.
