Grants cut to RSS leader's schools as per law: CM

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said he had nothing to do with the state government cutting grants being provided by the Mookambika Temple to two institutions run by RSS leader Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru after garlanding the statue of former chief minister the late S Nijalingappa on the occasion of his death anniversary, Siddaramaiah said the decision was taken by the education department in accordance with law.

According to sources, the state government has issued an order stating that grants being provided by the Mookambika Temple to Rama Vidya Kendra and Sri Devi Vidya Kendra run by Bhat should be stopped. The reason given is that the two institutions were adopted by the Mookambika Temple in violation of rules. There is no provision in the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act for adoption of private educational institutions by temples and maintain them.

In Haveri, Muzrai and Textiles Minister Rudrappa said the Muzrai Department has withdrawn the order on adoption of Sri Rama Vidya Kendra in Kalladka and Sri Devi Vidya Kendra at Punacha in Bantwal taluk by the Kollur Mookambika Temple in accordance with the law. He said religious institutions should not adopt private educational institutions according to the Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Rules 1997 and 2002.

“This has nothing to do with communal riots or chief minister or forest minister. Several people, including some BJP people, have complained that temple’s funds should not be used for private or non-religious institutions. As much as Rs 2.83 crore has been spent on these two institutions from the temple’s funds from June 20, 2007,” he added.