Rulers should refrain from looting temple assets: Ashok Gajapathi Raju

Raju, who visited the Simhachalam temple as its hereditary trustee after the HC ruled in his favour, took a dig at the state govt alleging that `everybody was eyeing the assets of Hindu temples and endowment lands

Visakhapatnam: Former Union Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju has urged the rulers at the Centre and State to ensure governance within the framework of the Constitution.

Raju, who visited the Simhachalam temple on Wednesday as its hereditary trustee after the high court ruled in his favour, took a dig at the state government alleging that `everybody was eyeing the assets of Hindu temples and endowment lands.’

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The people gave their mandate for providing good governance and the rulers should refrain from looting properties of the Hindus, he stated.

While all religions were equal in India, there was a need to hold Hinduism in high esteem in the country, he felt. “There are hardly 230 persons in the state who have hereditary rights and the government should not come in their way. I wonder why the government is jealous of these trusts,” he remarked.

Raju said that the officials should function in a transparent manner as 17 per cent of the revenue of temples was remitted to the Endowment department for the purpose. The revenue of the temples was nothing but the thanksgivings of the devotees, he pointed out.

Taking exception to the hike in price of prasadam at the temple, he said that the decisions taken by the Simhachalam Devasthanam board in recent times would be reviewed.

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