Lucknow,

27 May (HS): Akhilesh Yadav, president of the Samajwadi Party, spoke out

strongly on Tuesday against any government participation in temple

administration, saying they must be protected from administrative corruption. Sharing

a video clip on social media platform X, which stated that a trust had been

formed to administer the operations of the Banke Bihari temple in Mathura,

Yadav accused the BJP government of covertly seizing control of key temples

throughout the nation under the guise of improved management. Under the guise

of administration, the BJP and its allies are increasingly gaining indirect

control over important temples. Those

who have been maintaining these temples with dedication for generations are

being robbed of their privileges and falsely accused of being unable or

mismanaging temple matters, Yadav claimed in a Hindi post.

He stated that temple functions

like as darshan, prasad distribution, safety, public amenities, and

'dharamshalas' have always been funded by devotee contributions. Such duties

are best performed by those who have a strong spiritual connection to their

surroundings, he added.

Outsiders or experts recruited by

the administration regard these pious organizations as profit-making

companies. He said that dishonest

authorities had sold even modest items such as belpatra leaves. Yadav warned

the BJP and its greedy allies that religion is designed for the

general welfare, not for financial gain. It is no accident that temples have

come under greater governmental oversight since the BJP took office. He stated that this goes against the

country's cultural and religious values.

The SP head questioned if

government workers, who are vulnerable to transfers and political favoritism,

could ever maintain the kind of trust and commitment that traditional

caregivers bring to temple administration. In a jab at the ruling party, he

stated, The faithful say today, we do not want BJP.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi