Karnataka temple tax bill awaits action after fails to pass in Legislative Council

The Congress, which introduced the Hindu Religious Endowment Amendment measure in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, was unable to pass the measure because of lack of strength of the state government, despite a 10-minute adjournment.

The opposition expressed great disapproval against the Religious Endowment Amendment Bill.

In response to criticism from the opposition, Karnataka Minister Ramalinga Reddy announced that he will reintroduce the bill on Monday. However, Pranesh, the Karnataka Legislative Council's deputy chairman, had protested to this. A bill cannot be postponed once it has been discussed, according to the Deputy Speaker.
The meeting was deferred for 10 minutes to discuss and decide.

It is to be noted here that the Religious Endowment Bill was eventually placed to a vote by Congress once proceedings. A large number of BJP and opposition members participated. Only five members of the ruling party were present.

In the Assembly, more MLAs voted against the bill, so it could not be passed as a result.

The update has come after Karnataka government on Wednesday passed the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Bill 2024 in the state assembly that gives the government the authority to tax temples that earn more than ₹1 crore (10%) and those that earn between ₹10 lakh and ₹1 crore (5%).

The decision was slammed by Bhartiya Janata Party calling it 'Anti-Hindu activity.'

Here are the key points to be noted:

The bill proposed a 10% tax on temples with an annual income exceeding Rs 1 crore and 5% for those with an income between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore.

The opposition BJP and JD(S) criticized the bill, calling it an ‘anti-Hindu’ move and accusing the Congress government of targeting religious institutions.

The bill passed the Legislative Assembly but was defeated in the Legislative Council by a voice vote.

According to the sources, the Congress party might attempt to reintroduce it with modifications or seek alternative solutions for supporting financially weaker temples. However, the debate on the bill has sparked discussions about the role of religious institutions, wealth distribution, and government intervention in religious matters.