‘Why not other religious bodies?: Karnataka Guv questions the Congress govt over temple tax bill
In a massive setback for the Congress, Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot refused to sign the controversial temple tax bill on Thursday.
Governor Gehlot questioned as to why only Hindu temples are being taxed. The governor also emphasized that it is discriminatory to only a particular religion, he noted that all religious bodies should be taxed under the bill.
The Governor issued the state government with a direction to re-submit the file with clarifications.
The Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was introduced by the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government on February 21 and passed in the Vidhan Sabha. However, it faced defeat by a voice vote in the upper house on February 23, where the opposition holds a majority.
The Karnataka Temple Bill was later reconsidered and passed in both the Assembly and the Legislative Council on March 1.
Additionally, temples with incomes surpassing Rs.1 crore would be subject to a 10% charge by the state government. These collected funds are intended for a Common Pool Fund managed by the ‘Rajya Dharmika Parishath’.
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Bold decision. He should have sent the bill for document shredder