Thu Dec 26 23:00:00 UTC 2024: ## VHP Launches Nationwide Campaign to Free Hindu Temples from Government Control
**New Delhi, December 27, 2024** – The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), a Hindu nationalist organization, announced a nationwide campaign to wrest control of Hindu temples from government authorities. The campaign, launching January 5th in Vijayawada, aims to raise public awareness and advocate for the transfer of temple management to Hindu organizations.
VHP organizing general secretary Milind Parande stated that the current government control is discriminatory and hinders the proper functioning of temples. To facilitate this transfer, the VHP is establishing a think tank comprised of retired judges, lawyers, and religious leaders to draft a framework for temple management and dispute resolution. This framework will also address the transition process from government to Hindu community control.
The VHP also demands the removal of non-Hindus from temple employment, reserving these positions for practicing Hindus. Furthermore, they call for the removal of political figures from temple trust boards and the removal of all encroachments on temple lands. Temple income, they insist, should be solely used for religious and societal purposes, not government initiatives. State-level “Dharmic Councils” will be formed to oversee the selection of local temple trustees, ensuring representation from various sections of Hindu society.
First Piper 