Vishva Hindu Parishad announces nationwide public awakening campaign for liberation of temples from government control

New Delhi, Paush Krishna 11, 2081 Vikram Samvat, i.e., December 26, 2024 - Vishva Hindu Parishad on Thursday announced a countrywide public awakening campaign to free Hindu temples from control of governments. Addressing a press conference today, Vishva Hindu Parishad\'s Organizing General Secretary Shri Milind Parande said that now all the state governments should detach themselves from the control, management and daily works of temples because their such activities are discriminatory towards the Hindu society. Under the leadership of the revered Sant Samaj and the leading figures of the Hindu society, we are going to start a countrywide public awareness campaign in this regard from January 05, 2025. The call for this all-Bharat campaign will be given in a special and huge gathering of lakhs of people called \'Haindava Shankhaaraavam\' to be organized in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. The VHP Organizing General Secretary said that it is unfortunate that after the country\'s independence, the anti-Hindu work which should have been stopped, that is, the temples should have been handed over to the Hindu society, many state governments instead, one after another, ignored Articles 12, 25 and 26 of the Constitution of Bharat! When no mosque or church is under their control, then why this discrimination against Hindus? Despite clear indications given by many Hon’ble High Courts and the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the governments kept occupying and subjugating the management and properties of temples.

Shri Parande said that the work of management and control of temples should now be handed over to the devoted and capable people of the Hindu society. To address this, we have formed a Think Tank comprising of eminent lawyers of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, retired Chief Justices of High Courts, revered leading figures of the Sant Samaj and Karyakartas of Vishva Hindu Parishad, which has prepared a draft after studying the protocols of management of temples and to resolve any kind of dispute related to it. It has also been kept in view as to when the governments return the temples to the society, what would be the protocols to accept it and under what provisions! That is why some persons holding constitutional posts will constitute a Dharmic Council at state levels comprising revered Dharmacharyas, retired judges and retired government officials and also other eminent people of the society who are experts in Hindu scriptures and Aagam Shaastras and rituals. These state level councils would elect the district level councils which in turn will choose the trustees of the local temples in which various sections of the society along with scheduled castes and tribes would participate. A process will be decided for resolving disputes. Last week, we met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Chandrababu Naidu and handed over a draft of such a proposed law to him for his consideration. We are also having similar discussions with other state governments and various political parties.

Earlier, on 30th September, 2024 VHP had submitted a memorandum to the Hon\'ble Governors of all the states of the country and requested their governments to withdraw from the management of temples. This All Bharat Jagran Abhiyan for the liberation of temples, the awakening of Hindu society has begun to protect the movable and immovable properties of these temples and to make proper use of them for the service of the Hindu society and propagation of Dharma.
Before handing over the temples to the Hindu society, we urge that;

- All non-Hindus employed in temples and endowment departments should be removed.

- Only practising Hindus with faith should be employed in the worship, offerings and service of God.

- No politician or person associated with any political party should be appointed on the Trust Boards and management of temples.

- Only Hindus should have shops inside and outside the temples.

- All encroachments and constructions made by non-Hindus and all encroachments and illegal constructions whatsoever on temple lands should be removed.

- The income of temples should be spent only for the propagation of Hindu Dharma, service to the society and related issues, never on government works.