Karnataka temples offerring pooja in Chief Minister’s name

Priests across thousands of temples in Karnataka have begun chanting the name of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa as part of their religious rituals following the issue of a controversial order by the BJP Government.

The circular issued by Karnataka Endowment Commissioner directed the priests of all the 36,000 odd temples belonging to the Endowment Department in the State to perform pooja every day in the name of the Chief Minister and also the Government.

The Endowment Commissioner has pointed that the order has been issued following instructions from Minister for Endowment Krishnaiah Chetty.

But, the Opposition Congress party and progressive groups are seeing red over the controversial circular. Seeking the immediate withdrawal of the Government order, Congress party’s spokesperson V S Ugrappa said the Government direction to temples to hold prayers in the name of the Chief Minister was against the secular spirit of the Constitution.

“This is gross misuse of Government machinery for personal gain. It is also a clear indication of the BJP’s hidden agenda”, Ugrappa said.

But, Endowment Minister Krishnaiah Chetty remained unfazed. “The sole intention behind the order is to seek God’s blessing for the welfare of the people of the state and to ensure peace and harmony in the society”.

To further defend his move, Chetty said the state was passing through a crisis in an apparent reference to the state-wide protests by farmers over shortage of fertilizers. Hence, divine blessings are needed to maintain peace, he said.

He pointed out that the circular clearly mentions that pooja has to be performed for the overall development of the state and the welfare of the people. “It requires no additional funds”, he added. Chetty even cited the existence of such a tradition during the days of the kings and rulers.
But, neither the Opposition nor the progressive groups are convinced with the Minister’s explanation. “Are they living in a democratic set up or back in an age when kings could issue such a dictat? ”, questioned a Mallesh, a representative of Federation of Progressive Forums of Karnataka.