Siddaramaiah claims the BJP is divisive because the tax provision for temples in Karnataka is outdated

The chief minister claimed that the Karnataka temple tax provision has been changed just to raise money that will only be utilised for temples, notwithstanding false claims made by the BJP.In the midst of a furious dispute over the Karnataka government’s decision to collect donations from temples with gross annual incomes of Rs10 lakh and more, chief minister Siddaramaiah claimed that political gain had caused the subject to be distorted.

The chief minister stated that the BJP leaders should be ashamed of themselves for making unfounded accusations that are just intended to mislead the public and divide people along communal lines in order to gain political power.After the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Assembly, the BJP put pressure on the government. Temples will be required by this bill to pay taxes to the government based on their income. The BJP denounced the Congress and called the action anti-Hindu.

The Karnataka government claimed that the new modification had actually made it free for temples with an annual income of up to ₹10 lakh, even though they had previously paid taxes—even during the BJP regime.