Bengaluru: Karnataka Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Saturday hit out at the BJP for accusing the Siddaramaiah-led government of hiking puja and service fees in temples, calling the criticism a “sign of intellectual bankruptcy.”

BJP Hiked Fees in 24 Temples, Says Reddy

The minister alleged that it was the BJP government, which claimed to be the protector of religion, that revised puja and service fees in 24 temples across Karnataka between 2019 and 2023. He released a list of major shrines, including Basavanagudi’s Dodda Ganapathi Temple, Nanjangud’s Sri Prasanna Nanjundeswaraswamy Temple, Nelamangala’s Sri Veerabhadra Swamy Temple, and Udupi’s Sri Mahishamardhini Temple.

“The so-called Dharmarakshak BJP, which seeks to mislead people in the name of faith, is now making desperate attempts to create misconceptions,” Reddy said.

Reddy clarified that the current government had not interfered in temple matters. Out of 35,554 temples in Karnataka, fees were revised in only 14 temples—and even then, it was done on the request of the respective temple management committees.

He added that these temples had not revised fees for 7 to 15 years and that the additional collections would be used exclusively for maintenance and development of temple infrastructure.

Slamming the BJP, Reddy remarked: “Leaders who project themselves as pro-Hindu should stop wearing masks. May God give them the common sense not to stoke fires between religions.”