The Karnataka government has shelved its decision to provide COVID lockdown relief to Imams and Muezzins of mosques in the state from the funds of the Hindu religious endowment department. The move comes after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Dakshina Kannada district opposed the decision.
Recently, the government announced a relief package of Rs 3,000 each to imams and muezzins along with the temple priests serving in the ‘C’ category of temples under the Muzrai (Hindu religious endowment department) department.
The state Muzrai Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary on Wednesday ordered to stop Tasdik allowance to mosques and madrasas. The move came following severe opposition from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) which said the government is using the temple fund for the purpose.
On Wednesday, VHP leaders Sharan Pumpwell and others submitted a memorandum to the minister in which they said the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Department is also being used as Covid allowance to the moulvis of mosques and madrasas.
“In Dakshina Kannada, the Tasdik allowance is being given to 41 moulvis. The temple fund should be used only for temples and not for mosques and madrasas and it should be immediately stopped,” said the petition. The minister assured the VHP leaders that the order will be withdrawn, reported The Indian Express.
Later, at around 6.30 pm, a DIPR (Department of Information and Public Relations) statement said the minister has ordered to withdraw the Covid allowance that has reached the non-Hindus in the form of Tasdik.
The statement said the decision was taken following severe opposition from Hindu leaders and in social media to the muzrai fund being used for non-Hindu worship places. “We have information about Tasdik fund was being released to non-Hindu places of worship even before our government came to power. It will be stopped now,” the commissioner said in his statement.
The note said that more than 27,000 Hindu temples are receiving a total of Rs 133 crore Tasdik allowance in a year. Out of this, 764 non-Hindu worship places were also receiving Tasdik. Based on the minister’s instructions, steps will be taken to stop Tasdik allowance to non-Hindu places of worship places, the statement added.
According to PTI, tasdik grants are a form of compensation paid to the Religious Institutions for their lands vested with the government under Karnataka Inam Abolition Act 1955 section 21 and Karnataka other Inam Abolition Act 1977.
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Rushda Fathima Khan is the Staff Reporter for The Cognate.
