Kerala HC directs strict ban on political activities in Kerala temples
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Kochi: The Kerala High Court has directed three major devaswom boards in the state to ensure that the premises of temples under their control are not used for political purposes.
The order, issued by a bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan V and K V Jayakumar, came on a plea filed by Ernakulam resident N Prakash. In his petition, Prakash alleged that temple premises, including the Tali Temple in Kozhikode, the Sree Indilayappan Temple at Attingal, and the Kadakkal Devi Temple in Kollam, were being misused for political activities. He argued that such practices were “inappropriate” and hurt the sentiments of devotees.
The Malabar Devaswom Board, in response, submitted that it was “not pragmatic” for devaswom boards to regulate the selection of events or activities held at temples, other than those directly related to customary poojas, rites, and rituals. The board also stated that any misuse of temple premises in violation of the Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988, was already actionable under the law, making further directions from the court unnecessary. It further contended that numerous people had attended and enjoyed the cultural programmes cited by the petitioner.
After considering the arguments, the court referred to the 1988 Act, which prohibits temple managers from using or allowing the use of religious premises for promoting or propagating political activities. The Act also forbids the use of funds belonging to religious institutions for the benefit of political parties and bans the organisation of ceremonies, festivals, congregations, or processions in temples for political purposes.
The bench directed the Travancore, Cochin, and Malabar Devaswom Boards to ensure strict adherence to these provisions. It ordered the boards to guarantee that the premises of religious institutions under their supervision are not used for political activities and that the requirements of the Act are “scrupulously complied with” in all temples under their control.
The court further instructed the boards to issue fresh directives to temples under their jurisdiction to reinforce compliance. It also said that any violation of the Act brought to the notice of the boards must be immediately reported to law enforcement authorities so that appropriate legal action can be taken.
The directive was issued on August 23.
With PTI inputs