Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Vote for party or group that supports Hindu agenda, say village priests

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUCHI, MARCH 14 . The Village Temple Priests' Federation has urged the Hindus to vote in the Lok Sabha elections for the political party or group that supports the "Hindu agenda".

Addressing presspersons here today after the Federation's two-day general body meeting, the Managing Trustee, S. Vedhantham, said the Hindu agenda or demands comprised, among other things, securing the welfare of the nation, moral code, culture, temples and mutts, construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya, establishment of an autonomous body for the administration of temples and exemption of temple lands from the Tenancy Act.

Mr. Vedhantham said the agenda included a ban on cow slaughter and steps to maintain cows, declaring cow the national animal, measures to protect the cleanliness of the sacred rivers, protecting the cultural heritage and sacred sites, laws to ban forcible conversions and alteration in the curriculum to inculcate patriotism and theistic beliefs in students.

Through another resolution, the Federation thanked the State Government for having repealed the Act that barred sacrifices in village temples.

It also urged the Government to revive the Village Priests Welfare Board that has not functioned since its inception in 2001.

Another resolution wanted the Government to charge electricity being supplied to temples at the domestic rates. With the drop in interest rates, the temples were now getting only Rs. 170 a month under the `one-kala puja' scheme. Previously the temples used to get Rs. 290 a month.

Mr. Vedhantham called upon the Government to increase the deposits to help them get the original monetary support.

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• Vote for party or group that supports Hindu agenda, say village priests
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