The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Thursday welcomed the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Tamil Nadu assembly election mfesto in which it promised to free temples from government control and illegal conversion.
In a statement, the Central Secretary-General of the VHP, Milind Parande said that it is not the function of a government to control temples or interfere in the 'affairs of its wealth or management'.
"It is not the function of any government to control temples or interfere in the affairs of its wealth or management. Religious conversion through fraud, allurements, temptation or forced conversion is also an inhuman misdeed," Parande said.
The BJP, in their mfesto for the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly elections, had promised that the administration of Hindu temples will be handed over to a separate board comprising Hindu scholars and saints.
"The time has come for state governments and political parties to bring an end to the decades-long injustice against Hindus by getting mitts and temples out of government control at the earliest, and also bring in strict laws put a complete stop illegal religious conversion," read the statement.
"Hindus had been denied their constitutional rights to freedom of religion and worship for decades, due to the control and mismanagement of temples," it said.
Tamil Nadu will go to the polls on April 6 in a single phase and the counting of votes will take place on May 2.
( With inputs from ANI )
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