HR&CE Minister and Sekarbabu Clash in TN Assembly Over Temple Projects

A sharp debate erupted in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in Chennai on Friday between Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Minister S Ramesh and former minister P K Sekarbabu regarding the management of temple administration across the state.

Presenting the demands in the assembly, Ramesh highlighted ongoing efforts to streamline temple properties, stating that measures are currently underway to recover ₹2,000 crore in pending temple rental dues and retrieve 40,000 acres of encroached temple lands.

The discussions turned contentious when Ramesh accused the previous DMK government of leaving temple-related projects worth ₹418 crore unresolved and pending. According to the minister, several of the 844 announcements made during the previous tenure had no corresponding financial allocations. He alleged that these announcements were made simply to increase the total number of declarations presented on the floor of the assembly.

Sekarbabu strongly countered the remarks, arguing that succeeding governments bear the responsibility to complete pending projects initiated by previous administrations rather than shelving or cancelling them. Demanding concrete evidence from the minister, Sekarbabu urged him to substantiate his statements rather than making empty accusations in the House.

In response, Ramesh clarified that the government had not halted all initiatives, but had cancelled only those deemed unnecessary. To support his argument, he cited the proposed multi-level parking project in Coonoor as an example of a dropped initiative.

Ramesh further defended the government's approach to temple administration by invoking the legacy of social reformer Periyar. He pointed out that Periyar had previously served on the Erode temple devasthanam committee, where he cleared the temple's debts and ensured a remaining balance of ₹45,000. Citing Periyar as the government's ideological guide, Ramesh asserted that temple administration under the current government would remain efficient and properly managed.