Temple protection week from Feb 4 to 12: Hindu Aikyavedi

Pathanamthitta, Feb 3 (UNI) Hindu Aikyavedi State General Secretary Kummanam Rajasekharan today said the Vedi would observe the temple protection week from February 4 to 12, in protest against the proposed Devaswom Ordinance.

As part of the observance, Hindu conventions would be held at all district head-quarters, he told reporters here.

As the finale of the agitation, leaders of Hindu organisations would go on fast on February 14 in front of the Secretariat, he added.

Stating the ordinance contained clauses detrimental to the very existence of temples, he opined that the proposed ordinance lacked a single section to contain corruption rampant in the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).

If the ordinance came into force, the jurisdiction of the High Court over the TDB would be curtailed, he added.

Mr Rajasekharan said the right to Administer Devaswom Board should be vested in the people. But the LDF government had decided to amass power in itself, he alleged and said the government should have the will-power to track down the culprits.

The ordinance gave power to the government to take over Hindu temples, ashrams, madhoms and Hindu institutions of charity. Secular institutions such as Legislature and Public Service Commission had no right to interfere in the activities of religious entities.

He said the Devaswom Board should be revamped by including members from S/C and S/T communities.

He also requested the CBI to take-up the probe into the Marad incident to unearth the conspiracy, inter-state links and connection with terrorists behind the massacre.

UNI