Thread by @ARanganathan72

7.2 on the Richter scale.

Before some muppets start bemoaning the death of the Secular State, this happened at the induction ceremony of Tejas into the IAF.

Secularism is TOTAL separation of Religion and State. Our Constitution is Plural NOT Secular. I lament it but I accept it. And so should you.

You want the govt to not partake in Hindu practices but are fine with it receiving BILLIONS through the control of 104,000 Hindu temples.

If one truly believes that Religion should keep out of State, the corollary is equally applicable: that State should keep out of Religion.

Govts of five southern States control 90,700 temples; TN Temple Trusts own 478,000 acres of land. Tamil Nadu State govt alone controls 36,425 temples and 56 mutts (tnhrce.org/pdf/HRCE_ACT_1…). BILLIONS in revenue.

Is this Secularism? RETURN this money before you cry Saffronisation.

With respect, I would have agreed to point number one every single time, except for the fact that the Indian State controls more than 100,000 temples and snatches billions off them. Return the money back to the temples first.

Agree on point number two.

https://twitter.com/swapan55/status/1193443539603972096?s=19

If one truly believes that Religion should keep out of State, the corollary is equally applicable: that State should keep out of Religion.

REMOVE State control of Hindu temples. My view on @TimesNow.

While the same government demands that Hindu temples contribute ten crore to the Chief Minister's Coronavirus Relief Fund. Indian Secularism in its full glory. swarajyamag.com/news-brief/tam…

The Congress demanding temple gold is akin to modern day pillaging of Hindu temples. No wonder they admire Aurangzeb so much.

My views on @TimesNow with @RShivshankar. #CongEyesTempleGold

With DEVASTATING clarity, the ever brilliant @jsaideepak explains here the INSANE discrimination meted out to Hindu temples in the name of Secularism.

With every word you hear, you are left thinking: How can this happen in a Democracy. How?

BLOOD BOILS.

The decision to auction temple properties is an assault on Hindu temples. Sadly, such assaults have the approval of all four pillars of our State. And that includes the Judiciary.

My views on @TimesNow with @RShivshankar. #TirumalaTempleTargeted

Overriding the SC verdict of 1954, if the Congress can bring in a legislation to control Hindu temples in 1959, one that still stands, why couldn't the BJP bring in a legislation to override it in the last 6 years?

My views on @TimesNow. #ReclaimHinduTemples

Priests of one of the most revered Hindu shrines, the Kedarnath, BARRED from protesting its DICTATORIAL takeover by @BJP4India govt.

The looting and pillaging of Hindu temples continues. How is the BJP any different from the Congress?

It isn't. hindustantimes.com/india-news/pro…

RETURN (with interest) the money you have leeched off 100,000 Hindu temples by taxing and controlling them, before you outrage on the State providing security and infrastructure support during Kumbh.

My views on @TimesNow with @navikakumar. #CongVsKumbh

The Modi govt has asked all States to consider posting Muslim police personnel in police stations, and Muslim health personnel & teachers in hospitals & schools, in areas with high Muslim concentration.

This is secularism gone berserk. (h/t @savitha_rao) minorityaffairs.gov.in/sites/default/…

Where I ask the ruling BJP whether controlling ONLY Hindu places of worship and leeching billions in revenue off them is Secularism.

Yes, was the answer.

Exactly one year has gone by since the State informed the High Court, that 11,999 temples under its control do not even have enough money to perform a single pooja.

We DEMAND to know, from the State, the Centre, the Court: what is the condition of these temples one year on?

One can’t escape the delicious irony. In a secular country with a secular Constitution, a State ruled by a secular party is making a religious room in a secular Legislative Assembly.

My views on #NamazRoomDebate.

State control of temples is sanctioned loot. Yes, one could blame the Congress historically but who is in power since 2014? Under the BJP, the State controls more temples than ever before.

My views on #MuktKaroMandir, along with the brilliant @jsaideepak.

Brilliant. In a nation where govts leech billions off only Hindu temples, condemning priests to penury, leaving 12,000 temples unable to perform even a single puja, some falsely accused this pujari of keeping a small donation. Incensed, devotees did this:

The cruel historical injustice of Mathura MUST be corrected.

From Somnath to Kashi Vishwanath, Babarpur to Bakhtiarpur, from Allahabad to Aurangabad, for 70 years we were taught to forget historical injustices. Not anymore!

My views on @TimesNow:

Cost of #KashiVishwanathCorridor (Phase 1): 349 crore

Annual Hundi collection
Tirupathi: 1310 crore
Vaishnodevi: 520 crore
Sidhivinayak: 98 crore

Unshackle Hindu temples from govt control. They will look after each other. They always have historically.

State control of Hindu temples is the largest, financially most damaging scam of independent India. That it not only continues but flourishes under the BJP is a sad reflection of how Hindus are discriminated against by every govt.

My views on @TimesNow: