Tirupati laddu row | State govts must give up control over temples, hand them over to Hindu society: VHP

New Delhi: The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Friday termed as “intolerable” the alleged use of animal fat in Tirupati laddu and demanded that the Andhra Pradesh government hand over the control and management of the temple to the Hindu society.

VHP secretary general Bajrang Bagda also pitched for “freeing” all temples and other Hindu religious places from the government control across the country, as he demanded legal action against those allegedly involved in desecrating Tirupati laddu prasadam.

“Tirupati incident further strengthens the Vishva Hindu Parishad’s belief that government control over temples leads to entry of politics. Due to the appointment of non-Hindu officials there (in temples under government control), such impurities are deliberately introduced into the prasad (consecrated food),” he said in a video statement.

Bagda said the VHP has been demanding for a long time that temples and other religious places of the Hindus should not remain under the government control.

“We reiterate our demand that all temples and other places of worship be freed from the government’s control. The management and control of all temples and Hindu religious places should be handed over to the Hindu society,” he said.

Bagda termed the alleged use of animal fat in Tirupati laddu prasadam as “intolerable and a disgusting act”, and said the entire Hindu society is distressed and hurt with this report.

The Hindu society will not tolerate such “repeated attack” on its faith, he added.

“We believe that the Andhra Pradesh government and the Central government will give serious consideration to it in view of the gravity of the issue,” Bagda said.

The VHP secretary general demanded a thorough probe into the Tirupati laddu desecration case and legal action against those involved in it.

VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal also demanded that Tirupati temple and all other temples be freed from the government control across the country.

“It’s not just Tirupati temple which is under the government’s control. There are over four lakh temples under control of the governments in respective states across the country," Bansal said.

"Our stand is clear on this issue that governments must vacate the temples and their property, and hand them over to the Hindu society, Hindus are the rightful trustee of the temples, not the governments,” he told PTI, when asked for comment.

The VHP will soon launch a massive campaign against government control over the temples and other religious places of the Hindus, Bansal added.