Anand T PrasadThe Principal Secretary of HR&CE (Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowment Department of the TN Govt which manages and controls the temple administration within the state) directed certain Temples to transfer amount from its surplus funds to State Government fund intended to be used for corona Relief. Many Hindu and social organizations such as Hindu Munnani & Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) have demanded that the secretary should recall the aforesaid direction forthwith as temple funds ought not to be compulsorily transferred to a non-Hindu religious or secular purpose.
All the Temples in Tamilnadu are also closed for public worship due to the Corona pandemic. Thus, the temple Poojaries and lakhs of others whose livelihoods are based on the Temple is very much affected. Therefore rice, groceries, and necessary healthcare kit can be provided to them this pandemic. But no such initiatives were taken from Tamilnadu Government.
Whereas the Tamilnadu State Government has announced to deliver 5,450 tonnes of raw rice to 2,895 mosques across the State for the Ramzan celebration and the mosques will distribute the rice directly among beneficiaries at their homes.
A press release of VHP North Tamilnadu has questioned that the Tamilnadu Government whether would direct the Wakf Board or any other minority religious bodies to donate their funds to State Government’s relief fund?
As per circular dated 22-04-2020 of HR&CE department wherein they directed the executive officers & Joint commissioner of various Temples in Tamilnadu including the famous Palani and Thiruchendur Lord Murugan Temples, Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, etc to transfer 10 crore rupees from the said Hindu Temples account to Tamilnadu CM general relief fund.
After the direction from Tamilnadu Government, many Hindu people expressed their condemn through social media such as Twitter and Facebook to withdraw this above said direction.
Mediyaan Yuva