New Delhi, Feb 28 Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Jairam Thakur, has strongly criticised the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government, accusing it of seeking funds from temples to finance government schemes.
He alleged that while the Congress leaders have been critical of Sanatan Dharma, they are now resorting to using temple trust funds to sustain state welfare initiatives.
Jairam Thakur claimed that the Himachal Pradesh government has officially directed temple trusts under state control to deposit their funds into the government treasury to finance two key schemes, Sukh-Ashraya scheme and Sukh-Shiksha.
"The government has issued an order, followed by repeated follow-ups, urging temple trusts to send all available funds as soon as possible," he stated.
Condemning the move, Thakur said, "This is shocking and unfortunate. No government in the past has ever used temple trust funds for running budgetary schemes. If funds were needed during a crisis, such as during COVID-19 or natural disasters, and were directed towards the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for humanitarian aid, that would have been understandable. But using temple funds for regular government expenses is completely unacceptable."
He further criticised the government for its alleged contradictions, stating, "On one hand, Congress leaders insult Sanatan Dharma and its followers, on the other, they want to use temple donations to fund their policies. This decision is bizarre and must be opposed by everyone, including temple committees and the general public."
Thakur also attacked the Congress government’s financial mismanagement, saying, "They have no funds to pay salaries, pensions, or fulfil financial guarantees, yet they falsely claim that all guarantees have been met. Meanwhile, they have shut down 1,865 institutions established during the BJP’s tenure, discontinued schemes like Sahara scheme for medical aid and Shagun scheme for marriage assistance, and scrapped the Himcare health initiative for the poor."
Warning of strong protests, Thakur declared, "We will firmly oppose this decision, both inside and outside the Assembly. With the Budget Session approaching on the 10th, we will raise this issue aggressively."
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