Karnataka imposes 10% tax on temples, BJP calls Congress 'anti-Hindu'

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) targeted the Congress government in Karnataka for bringing in a law to tax temples. The state Assembly passed the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment bill, which requires temples with revenue exceeding Rs 1 crore to pay a 10 per cent tax to the government.

Karnataka BJP president Vijayendra Yediyurappa slammed the Congress for its 'anti-Hindu policies'. "The Congress government, which is adopting consistently anti-Hindu policies in the state, has now taken a crooked look at the revenue of Hindu temples and passed the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments bill to fill its empty coffers," he wrote on X.

Congress hit back saying the previous BJP governments in Karnataka ignored Temple revenues despite the law.

Karnataka minister Ramalinga Reddy said, "Did your BJP government neglect its responsibilities between 2008 and 2013, as well as from 2019 to 2023? It seems they turned a blind eye to the revenues of Hindu religious institutions and charitable endowments, despite the existence of acts or bills in place since 2001."

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