In a setback to the Congress government, amendments to Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1997, that were cleared in the recently-concluded budget session amidst opposition from BJP, has been returned by Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot.
Seeking clarifications on the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the Governor wants to know if the State Government has conceptualised any legislation to encompass other religious bodies in similar fashion. The Governor’s move of returning a bill for clarification is the first such since the Congress government came to power in May 2023, and comes close to the Lok Sabha elections.
“The Governor has asked whether the amendment can be made during the pendency of the case which is at the stage of final hearing at the Supreme Court; also it is asked whether the government has conceptualised any legislation to encompass other religious bodies like — Bababudangiri Datta Peetha and one more such religious place, where two communities worship — in a similar fashion. It will be clarified,” Muzrai Minister Ramalinga Reddy told presspersons.
