From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Mar 22: Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa on Tuesday took both the ruling Congress and opposition BJP members to task for their rigid positions over the printing of the invitation for the Shree Mahalingeshwara Temple in Puttur taluk of coastal Dakshina Kannada district with the name of deputy commissioner A B Ibrahim.
As the tempers rose in the house over the issue, Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister T B Jayachandra promised to avoid such controversies in future by bringing an amendment to the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1997.
BJP member Sunil Kumar, who raised the issue, demanded that the State Government should withdraw the present invitation in the name of Ibrahim and reprint it by removing his name.
He contended that under the present Act, the temple festival should be held under the supervision of a Hindu only.
Strongly opposing the State Government's stand allegedly violating the law, Sunil Kumar wanted the State Government to clarify as to how it could violate the law under the pretext of adhering to the protocol of district deputy commissioner heading the temple festival committee.
The question invited strong protests from the treasury benches and even Kagodu Thimmappa expressed his displeasure by stating that such argument is against the spirit of constitution and fraught with dangerous consequences.
However, Thimmappa also vented his ire at the State Government by questioning, "Is it not possible to amend such a bad law a day. Bring an amendment to the act within 24 hours."
The arguments ended only after Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra assured the House that the Act would be amended to remove barriers of religion in conducting the temple festival in future.