Temples should be freed from government control: VHP’s Milind Parande.

Hindu Temples Demand Freedom: VHP Plans  Campaign To Gain Momentum in 2025 Under The Guidance Of Seers.  

Upendra Bharti | HENB | New Delhi | Dec 27, 2024:: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has announced a nationwide campaign to free Hindu temples from government control, starting January 5, 2025. VHP Organising General Secretary Milind Parande emphasized that state governments should detach themselves from temple control, management, and daily operations, citing discriminatory activities against Hindu society. Milind Parande has also conveyed that the conch shell of this all-India campaign will be blown in a special and huge gathering of lakhs of people called ‘Haindva Shankharavam’ organized in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.

Parande argued that temples should have been handed over to Hindu society after independence, but state governments ignored Articles 12, 25, and 26 of the Constitution. He questioned why mosques and churches are not under government control, while Hindu temples are.

The VHP proposes handing over temple management to devoted and capable members of Hindu society. A ‘think tank’ has been formed to draft protocols for temple management and dispute resolution. This panel includes retired Supreme Court and High Court judges, lawyers, and religious leaders.

Key Demands:
– Removal of Non-Hindu Employees: Remove non-Hindus employed in temples and endowment departments.
– Exclusive Hindu Employment: Only practicing Hindus should be employed in worship, offerings, and temple services.
– No Politician Involvement: No politicians or individuals with political affiliations should be appointed to temple trust boards or management roles.
– Protection of Temple Lands: Remove encroachments and illegal constructions on temple lands by non-Hindus.
– Temple Income Utilization: Spend temple income only for the propagation of Hindu Dharma and related issues.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) is also gearing up to raise awareness about freeing Hindu temples from government control at the upcoming Maha Kumbh 2025 in Prayagraj. 

The VHP plans to engage with seers and saints at the Maha Kumbh 2025 to garner support for their cause. They argue that temples should be managed by devout and capable members of Hindu society, rather than the government. To achieve this, the VHP proposes establishing a ‘Dharmic Council’ at the state level, comprising individuals holding constitutional posts.

The council will oversee temple management, elect district-level councils, and select trustees for local temples. The VHP also demands that non-Hindus employed in temples and endowment departments be removed, and only practicing Hindus be employed in worship and temple services.

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__Inputs from UNI.