Giving a statement on the issue of bringing a private member’s bill to remove encroachments on temples and their land in Jammu and Kashmir, Chenani-Ghordi MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia said that after the 1987 insurgency period, Hindus had to flee on a large scale from many areas of Kashmir and Jammu division. This had a direct impact on the temples, because there were neither priests left to take care of them nor people who visited regularly.
The purpose of the bill is to return the properties of the temples.
He said that taking advantage of this situation, many people took illegal possession of temples and their properties, due to which the condition of religious places became even worse. Regarding this issue, the Supreme Court has also given instructions from time to time that these properties should be taken back and handed over to the concerned temple trusts. However, according to Balwant Singh, the government did not take any concrete or effective decision as it should have taken in this direction.
For this reason he felt that there should be a clear legal system on this issue. Therefore, the purpose of this proposed bill is to free the temple properties from illegal encroachments and hand them back to the temple trusts or related committees, so that the protection of religious institutions can be ensured.
‘India will not allow terrorism to flourish again’
He also reacted to the ongoing conflict in West Asia and Pakistan’s possible mediating role in it. He said that the kind of atmosphere created by Pakistan after partition in the entire country and especially in Kashmir is very sad. He also said that the way India treated Pakistan operation vermilion I had replied, after that his condition is going to get worse in future. Taking a tough stance, Mankotiya said that India will continue its action against terrorism and will not allow any terrorist base to flourish again.