India News | Himachal: CM-LoP Spat over Temple Funds
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Monday traded charges on the issue of alleged diversion of temple funds.
Shimla, Mar 10 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Monday traded charges on the issue of alleged diversion of temple funds.
Sukhu said that the BJP leader took Rs 28 crore from temples for his schemes while Thakur hit back claiming that the money was limited to 15 per cent and was specifically for "Gau Sadans" (cow shelters).
Asking Thakur to be sensitive and refrain from linking every issue with politics, Sukhu said no money from the temples comes to the government and is spent on specific purposes like construction of houses and roads, etc.
He said the government was not using it for its scheme and it has got additional Rs 2600 crore by shutting the routes of corruption.
Taking a jibe at Thakur, Sukhu said "If you divert funds it is virtue but when we do the same, it is sin".
Jai Ram criticised the government for diverting temple funds for Sukh Ashray and Sukh Shiksha schemes . He said that it was loot of temple funds and alleged that the government wants to divert the entire Rs 500 crore temple funds generated by offerings.
He said the concerned minister has denied that any money has been sought for government schemes, but the government notification has not been withdrawn and perhaps the minister is not aware of the decision of the government.
The Himachal Pradesh government had asked the Temple Trusts to contribute towards Mukhya Mantri Sukh Ashray Yojna and Mukhya Mantri Sukh Shiksha Yojna and issued a notification in this regard earlier.
Thakur alleged that Hanogi temple in Mandi district, where the employees have not been paid salary for the past three months, has also been asked to contribute Rs 5 lakh.
He said that the previous BJP government headed by him had set a 15 per cent limit for providing funds for Gau Sedans run either by temples or by NGOs in case they are willing.
"In Sanatan Dharma, cows are treated as mothers and our initiative had worked and when the BJP came to power, only 6,000 cows were in Gau Sedans and the number was 22,000 when we demitted office", he claimed.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)