Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday strongly condemned and categorically denied Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s allegation that the State government was encroaching on temples and swindling their wealth. He termed the allegations as slander and lies.
Addressing the valedictory event of year-long celebrations of the 200th birth anniversary of Vallalar, organised by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, he questioned the need for the country’s Prime Minister to “construct false news” about one State while speaking in another State. He was referring to Mr. Modi’s recent speech in Telangana where he made this accusation.
Mr. Stalin said the present DMK government, since coming to power, had retrieved over ₹3,500-crore worth land that belonged to temples. Similarly, in this period, 1,000 temples have been consecrated and ₹100 crore had been allocated to restore 112 historically important temples. Moreover, work has been planned in another 5,078 temples in the current financial year, he said, adding that the problem was not in the way the temples were managed, but in the Prime Minister’s perspective.
