BANGALORE: During his first five months in office, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa spent more than Rs. 11 lakhs in government funds to make eight trips to Hindu temples—including one to Tirupathi to take part in the Bramhotsava.
Records obtained by IIJNM Investigations under the Right To Information Act show that Yeddyurappa charged the eight trips to taxpayers as "official" business. In five out of eight instances, he used government funds to rent a helicopter or an airplane to carry himself and several top ministers to Hindu shrines, where he offered pujas and, in one case, inaugurated a food serving hall.
Only temples
Interviews and records also show that during the same period, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader made no official visits to other houses of worship even after being invited by Christian and Muslim leaders.
And in one case, Yeddyurappa was visiting a Mangalore temple at government expense the day after pro-Hindutva vandals ransacked two nearby Christian sanctuaries.
Despite heavy media coverage of the incidents, Yeddyruppa didn't show up at the churches, although he denounced the attacks on prayer halls and met Christian leaders. Still, his failure to visit the sanctuaries prompted accusations that he and his pro-Hindu BJP tacitly condoned the attacks—a charge he vigorously denies.
A BJP spokesman defended the chief minister's temple visits, saying the reason he didn't go to mosques and churches in the first few months of his tenure was because "he was not invited." Yeddyurappa has since gone to at least one dargah (mosque) and one church, according to press reports.
"Yeddyurappa is not against any religion," said A L Shivkumar, media manager of the Karnataka BJP Unit. "He treats all religions equally."
Visits requested
Kumar said Yeddyurappa has gone to more temples because Hindu priests continually ask him to.
"He visits many places and people invite him to the temples nearby, so he goes there," he said. "He is a 'pakka' (devout) Hindu and he goes to a temple as every traditional Hindu does.
"It would be wrong if he does not go there."
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