Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 30 (IANS): A day after retired Supreme Court judge Justice Indu Malhotra remarked that Communist governments are "taking over" Hindu temples, Kerala Minister for Devasoms K. Radhakrishnan said the remark is devoid of facts and one which is misleading.

Radhakrishnan hit back at the retired judge who made this remark soon after visiting the famed Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple, billed as the richest temple in the world and said neither the Communist party nor the Left government has ever done such a thing.

"It was the Left government which took the lead to ensure that the property of temples are given back to them. Not to mention that they saw to it, that when one section of the people who were not even allowed entry to temples today work as temple employees," said Radhakrishnan.

"None should and will forget that it was the Left government which came to the help of the temple employees during the time of the worst ever floods in 2018 and 2019 and when Covid struck. Our government earmarked funds for this in the state budget . After having done all, this such a remark should not have been made," added Radhakrishnan.

In fact, the retired judge in 2020, while sitting at a division bench at the apex court along with the current Chief Justice of India, U.U. Lalit reversed the 2011 Kerala High Court order, which had said that the royal family's rights over the famed Sree Padmnabha Swamy temple ceased with the death of the last ruler of Travancore, Sree Chithira Thirunal, in 1991.

The bench then decided to set up an expert committee that would continue to manage the temple's affairs until the royal family forms a final committee.