HP Assembly passes Hindu Religious Institutions Bill

Shimla, Apr 3 (UNI) The Himachal Pradesh Hindu Public Religious Institutions And Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill was today passed amidst protests by Opposition BJP, which resorted to slogan shouting in the Assembly followed by a walkout.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said the Bill only laid down parameters for the constitution of temple trusts and there was nothing new in it for the BJP to oppose.

He even proposed some amendments, taking care of BJP's view on the issue, but the Opposition did not relent and wanted the Bill be withdrawn.

Earlier opposing the Bill, the leader of BJP group in Vidhan Sabha, Prem Kumar Dhumal termed the amendment to the Bill unjust and said the provision being incorporated would only enable the government to interfere with the religious affairs of Hindus.

The provisions of the Bill would virtually reduce the temple trusts to a government department, as the trusts would have to seek approval from the Principal Secretary (temples) and even puja and rituals would be performed as per the government directives, he said.

The government would call the shots as 50 per cent of the trustees would be officials as per the amendment and this would make a mockery of the temple trusts, he added.

There was no need to bring deras and samadhis in the purview of the Act, while pointing that the government had not made any such law for religious shrines of Christians, Sikhs, Muslims or other communities.

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