New Delhi: BJP on Friday said the worshippers and temple priests should decide whether the huge treasure found in the Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthpuram should be spent on the welfare of people or kept in the premises.
"The Supreme Court has ordered that an inventory should be prepared of the treasure found in Padmanabhaswamy temple. The government has also said it will protect the temple. We welcome both these things," BJP spokesperson Nirmala
Sitharaman said.
However, on the issue of spending the wealth, estimated to be around Rs one lakh crore, she said it is up to the temple priests and those associated with it to decide.
"The ownership of the treasure certainly belongs to the temple. The 'bhaktas' (believers and worshippers) and the temple should decide what to do with it. We are glad the Kerala Chief Minister has said the wealth with remain with the temple," Sitharaman said.
She insisted that the western notion of charity should not be applied to this ancient temple.
"Applying the western description of what a charitable institution is would be unfair," she said.
There have been suggestions that the huge wealth should be used for opening new hospitals and educational institutions for the people.
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