Yogi govt plans new law to regulate temples, mosques, churches, will keep tab on donations

UP govt looking to bring in the law, which will likely set rules for registration & operational practices among others, 'without much noise' to avoid controversies.

File photo of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. | Photo: ANI

Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath government is preparing to bring in an ordinance to regulate operations at places of worship across Uttar Pradesh, with an eye on managing donations and offerings at these sites.

According to sources in the government, the proposed ordinance — to be called the Regulation and Registration of Religious Places Ordinance — will likely set rules for registration, function, operational practices and security at religious places.

In the making since October 2019 after a Supreme Court remark in a religious dispute over donations, the law aims to cover the religious places of all religions. The state has not seen any such law before this.

While a formal announcement about the legislation has not yet been made by the government, sources told ThePrint that officials in the Dharmarth Karya Vibhag have already made a presentation to the CM.

A cabinet meeting to clear the ordinance could be called soon, said the sources.

Speaking to ThePrint, cabinet minister and government spokesperson Siddharth Nath Singh confirmed that the department has made a presentation, but said he couldn’t divulge more information until the ordinance is introduced.

The sources added that the government aims to bring in the law without much noise to avoid controversies.

What the ordinance aims to do

Sources said the state government is bringing in the law as it wants to completely resolve disputes over management rights at religious places.

According to an official in the Uttar Pradesh government, the ordinance will make the registration of all religious places, including the prominent sites, mandatory.

It will also have a provision for a financial body, which will keep all the details about the donations and offerings being made at these institutions. Moreover, the proposed law will also carry parameters for safety of all religious institutions.

Guidelines related to livelihoods dependent on such religious places are also proposed, apart from provisions to ensure greater convenience of the devotees and better maintenance of the places.

According to the sources in the CM’s Office (CMO), Adityanath has suggested that officials must collect feedback from legal experts to incorporate necessary improvements in the ordinance.

The proposed law seeks a comprehensive policy framework for better management of places of worship. For this, it had announced the formation of Directorate of Charitable Affairs Department under the Dharmarth Karya Vibhag in the state last month. The headquarters of the directorate will be based in Varanasi, with a sub-head office in Ghaziabad.

The department’s formation was seen as an indication that the government was planning to bring in an ordinance for regulation of religious places.

Preparations on since SC comments  

According to an official in the newly formed department, preparations for this ordinance had been on for over a year now, in view of a top court remark in a case related to a religious site in Bulandshahr.

On 22 October 2019, the Supreme Court had asked why there was no law to control and/or regulate temples and other religious institutions in the state. The court had said the UP government should “seriously” consider enacting a law in this regard, through which the state can bring religious institutions, where there are allegations about mismanagement, under its jurisdiction.

The court was hearing a petition challenging an order by the Allahabad High Court that gave the priests working at a temple all the rights related to donations and offerings being offered at the temple.

Since then, the UP government has sought to bring a law to resolve disputes related to the management of religious places.

According to sources, while there are several committees already working at many places to resolve such disputes, larger disputes often reach courts.

Avoiding controversies

While the CM has given his nod to the ordinance, the UP government wants to bring it “without creating much noise” as it fears possible resentment among saints and priests, the CMO sources said.

All the ministers and officials in the government are avoiding any official comment on the issue before the cabinet meeting to avoid controversies, said the sources.

Last month, Akhara Parishad president Mahant Narendra Giri had said if the government brings any such ordinance, it should have some prior discussion with saints.

He said it would not be appropriate to bring activities of saints and priests residing in monasteries and temples under the purview of state government in any manner, adding that the system already in place in the state is adequate and should be continued with.

However, he later said the CM is himself a saint, the Peethadheeshwar of Gorakshpeeth, so he would take any action only after thinking it through.

Muslim, Christian religious leaders say no idea about law

Speaking to ThePrint, prominent Lucknow-based Shia cleric Maulana Saif Abbas said he has not received any kind of information related to the ordinance, but has only reports in local media that an action in this regard is likely.

According to him, the UP government should not repeat the mistake in a matter related to religion that the Centre made while bringing in farm laws.

“In the Muslim religion, there are already provisions for Shia and Sunni waqf boards, through which all the information related to the religious sites, including their registration, can be obtained. Therefore, some clarification on this ordinance is necessary,” he said.

Father Morris Kumar, priest at Assembly of Believers’ Church, Lucknow, also said he has not received any information about the proposed law or called for any discussion.

“It is absolutely necessary to have prior discussion before bringing any ordinance related to religious issues,” he said, adding that he would certainly participate if there is an invite from the government.