Thiruvananthapuram: When the allegations made by former Supreme Court Judge Indu Malhotra that the Communist governments are trying to take control of Hindu temples for the revenue
there being generated became a controversy, and the Kerala government claimed it had given financial assistance to several temples in the state.
State Temple Affairs Minister K Radhakrishnan told the state assembly that financial assistance to the tune of Rs 165 crore had been provided to the Travancore Devaswom Board, Cochin Devaswom Board, Malabar Devaswom Board, and Koodalmanikyam Devaswom Board when these temples were struggling due to coronavirus pandemic and floods of 2018.
In a video, which is viral on social media, Justice Indu Malhotra can be heard saying that the communist governments are trying to take control of revenue-generating temples.
The Minister also said that the Travancore Devaswom Board, which runs the Sabarimala temple among other places of worship in Southern Kerala, alone had received financial assistance of Rs 120 crore from the government.
The minister said the government has taken steps to meet the additional financial burden caused by the hike in the salary of employees and dearness allowances of pensioners at the Travancore Devaswom Board.