Kerala

Temple takeover being communalised: Minister

Hindu Aykia Vedi members taking out a march through the Swaraj Round in Thrissur on Wednesday in support of the hartal called against the takeover of Guruvayur Parthasarathy Temple by the Malabar Devaswom Board.  

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Kadakampally Surendran says a section of devotees and staff demanded takeover

Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran has warned against attempts to communalise the Malabar Devaswom Board’s decision to takeover the Guruvayur Parthasarathy temple.

Mr.Surendran said in a statement here on Wednesday that the temple was taken over on the basis of a High Court order.

The demand for the takeover came up from a section of devotees and employees following the irregularities committed by a group of people who were running the temple administration.

Tension

When the board authorities reached the temple for implementing the court order, there was bid to block them and that led to a tension.

Hence the order was implemented with police protection. He described BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan’s campaign that the government was trying to appropriate the temple property as baseless. The government is providing grant to the tune of crores of rupees to the temples that come under the board. The campaign that the government was trying to appropriate the temple fund is baseless, he said.

The argument that the government was targeting temples alone was also unfounded. The Karipur Aanchirakkal Jamaath mosque, Kakkovu Juma Masjid, Camaparambu Juma Masjid, Thrikunnath church and Mamalassery Orthodox church were closed down in the face of disputes. The board was only implementing the court order and it should not be dubbed otherwise, he said.

Printable version | Nov 11, 2017 11:14:26 PM | http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/temple-takeover-being-communalised-minister/article20005826.ece