D K Shivakumar on Hinduism and Karnataka temples: No party can claim ownership – Karnataka News

Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said no political party could claim exclusive ownership over Hinduism, temples or gods, in an apparent swipe at the BJP. He said religion was a personal matter and urged temple priests to continue trusting the Congress government, saying it had protected religious values and traditions while also delivering on its promises.

Addressing a state-level convention organised by the Karnataka State Muzrai Temple Priests’ Association and Employees’ Association, Shivakumar said some parties were trying to monopolise Hinduism for political gain. He also defended the government’s welfare measures, its approach towards all faiths, and called on priests to support and explain its work to people.

“Just by draping a saffron shawl, they claim, all temples belong to us, all gods belong to us, all Hindus belong to us,” Shivakumar said. He asked where such a claim over Hindus would ultimately lead and added, “Am I not a Hindu? Is Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy not a Hindu? Is former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not a Hindu? Is Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge not a Hindu? We are all Hindus.”

He said religion was an individual’s personal choice and that nobody chose the religion or caste into which they were born. According to him, religious customs accompanied every stage of life, from birth and marriage to death. “We cannot live by abandoning our traditions and customs,” he said, while claiming that no previous government had served religious institutions with similar commitment. He said the priests had expressed faith not only in Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy but also in the government.

Quoting poet Sarvajna, Shivakumar said, “There is nothing more sour than a lemon, nothing darker than a beetle, no god greater than Shambhu (Lord Shiva), and no virtue greater than trust,” and added that the trust shown by priests in the government was its greatest strength. Noting that the Muzrai Department administers nearly 34,000 temples, he described priests as the bridge between God and devotees and appealed to them to continue supporting the government. “When you speak, you speak on behalf of God… We must ensure that this government continues,” he said.

The chief minister said he had prayed before the Assembly elections that, if given the chance to form the government, he would implement the Congress’ five guarantee schemes. He said those commitments had been honoured and named Gruha Lakshmi, Gruha Jyothi, Anna Bhagya, Shakti and Yuva Nidhi as measures meant to improve people’s lives. Drawing a comparison with the BJP, he asked whether promises such as depositing Rs 15 lakh in every citizen’s bank account and doubling farmers’ incomes had been fulfilled. “Those remained only promises. But whatever promise we made, we have honoured it,” he said.

Shivakumar said the government had taken steps to support education, employment and welfare, including facilitating private-sector employment through the government. He said the administration should function only as a bridge between people and opportunities, just as priests serve as a bridge between devotees and God. Defending the government’s approach towards all faiths, he said the state had both a Muzrai Department for Hindu religious institutions and a Minority Development Department for minority communities. “We are not here to force anyone. Religion is based on personal faith,” he said, adding that people were free to follow or change their religion.

Calling on priests to become ambassadors of the government’s welfare initiatives, Shivakumar said, “Service to the people is service to god; service to humanity is service to the divine.” He added that governments should be judged by what they delivered rather than by rhetoric.

Referring to alleged irregularities in temple administration, he said the actions of a few had damaged the image of temples and priests, while many honest priests had been unfairly blamed. He also said merely wearing religious attire and chanting Lord Rama’s name was not enough, and that genuine service to society should be the benchmark for public support. Overall, Shivakumar used the event to argue that faith was personal, that temples could not be politically owned, and that his government should be assessed by its delivery and support for religious institutions.

– Ends

With agency inputs