Chennai, July 13 — The Tamil Nadu unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the DMK-led state government of misusing temple funds and called for a white paper on assets managed by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department.
Senior BJP leader and spokesperson ANS Prasad, in a statement issued Saturday, alleged widespread lack of transparency in temple asset management and urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to disclose details of temple lands, properties, revenue, and outstanding dues.
The controversy centers around the use of temple funds for constructing educational institutions, which the BJP claims reflects poor fiscal planning by the government.
Referring to recent remarks by AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, Prasad said, “His question is valid — why use temple money instead of budgetary allocations for building colleges?” He stressed that infrastructure like schools and colleges requires recurring funding for salaries and maintenance, which cannot sustainably come from temple donations alone.
Prasad accused the state government of distorting Palaniswami’s views by portraying him as anti-education. “His concern is about financial strategy, not the importance of education,” he clarified.
He further claimed that temple lands and properties, if rented or leased at market rates, could generate substantial revenue for community development. “Instead, these properties are being used for government offices without proper compensation,” he alleged.
Prasad also demanded that any educational institution funded through temple contributions should include Hindu religious studies, such as devotional hymns like Thevaram, Thiruvasagam, and Divya Prabandham, aligning with devotees’ expectations.
He concluded by urging the state government to adopt transparent asset management practices and to prioritize long-term benefits over short-term political gains.
