BJP Raised Worship Fees in 24 Temples, Alleges Ramalinga Reddy
Bengaluru: Karnataka Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Saturday hit back at the BJP for accusing the Siddaramaiah-led government of hiking worship and service fees in temples, calling their criticism a “sign of intellectual degradation.”
Reddy alleged that it was the BJP government, which claimed to be the protector of religion, that increased worship and service fees in 24 temples across the state between 2019 and 2023.
“The so-called Dharmarakshak BJP is making desperate attempts to mislead people in the name of religion,” he said, releasing a detailed list of temples where fees were revised.
Some of the prominent temples where worship and service charges were raised under the BJP regime include:
- Sri Veerabhadra Swamy Temple, Nelamangala Taluk
- Sri Mahalingeswaraswamy Temple, Kavur
- Sri Veerabhadreswaraswamy Temple, Darur Village, Siruguppa Taluk, Bellary
- Sri Mylaralingaswamy Temple, Sulihatagali Taluk, Bellary
- Sri Hosuramma Temple, Hospet Taluk, Bellary
- Sri Visvesvaraswamy Temple, Elluru, Kapu Taluk, Udupi
- Sribolarameswaraswamy Temple, Chikkamagaluru City
- Sri Kotilingeswaraswamy Temple, Kundapur Taluk, Udupi
- Sri Nageswaraswamy Temple, Channarayapatna, Hassan
- Sri Mahishamardhini Temple, Kadiali, Udupi
- Tipaturu Kibbanahalli Rajatadripur Murderer Sri Lakshminarasimhaswamy Devadewala. Sri Betta Ranganathaswamy Temple, Kunigal Taluk, Tumkur
- Sri Betta Ranganathaswamy Temple, Kunigal Taluk, Tumkur
- Nagalamadike Shri Subrahmanyaswamy Temple, Pavagada Taluk, Tumkur District
- Mysore District Nanjangud. Sri Prasanna Nanjundeswaraswamy Temple at Chikkaiya Chhatra
- D.K. As requested by the district, Kutyaru Sri Somanatheshwar De. Belthangady
- Sri Kabbalamma Temple, Kabbalu Village, Satanur Hobli, Kanakapura Taluk
- Sri Prasanna Ganapathi and Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Sampangiramanagar, Bangalore City
- Sri Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy Temple, Halenagar, Bhadravati Taluk, Shimoga District
- Sri Amrutheshwara Swamy Temple, Brahmavar Taluk, Udupi
- Sri Dodda Ganapathi and Group Temples, Basavanagudi, Bangalore.
- Sri Kashivishveswaraswamy Temple, Antaragange, Kolar
- Sri Kengal Anjaneyaswamy Temple, Vandaraguppe village, Channapatna taluk
- Sri Sri Siddalingeshwara Temple, Edeyur village, Kunigal taluk, Tumkur district
- Sri Kumaraswamy Temple, Sri Panchamukhi Sannidhi and Sri Udbhava Aadhishesha Sannidhi, Hanumanthnagar, Bangalore City district
Reddy questioned whether the BJP’s move to increase fees in these temples could be called an “anti-religious” act.
Clarifying the position of the current Congress government, Reddy said that out of 35,554 temples in Karnataka, service fees have been revised in only 14 temples—and only at the request of the respective temple management boards.
“These temples had not revised fees for 7 to 15 years. The additional collections will be used exclusively for maintenance and development of temple infrastructure. There is no government interference,” he added.
Targeting the BJP further, Reddy said, “Leaders who claim to be pro-Hindu should at least remove their masks. May God give them the common sense not to ignite religious tensions among people.”