Kartik Krushnapaksha 3, Kaliyug Varsha 5115
Will Hon. Court ask Govt to bring out such new ordinance or legislation to regulate mosques, madrassas and churches too, as all are same before law ? If India is secular country, then there should be same law for all type of religious institutions ! – Editor
Banglore : The Karnataka high court on Tuesday asked the state government whether it intends to bring out new legislation or ordinance to control mutts across the state.
"Why is there no law to govern mutts ? Are they above the law ? Absolute power corrupts. That's what happened with mutts. Does the government intend to bring out any legislation or ordinance to have some control over these mutts ?" a division bench headed by Chief Justice DH Waghela observed while asking the Advocate General (AG) to assist the court on this issue.
The bench also asked the government to have its say in the settlement of the Sosale Mutt controversy and adjourned the hearing on a writ appeal filed by Vidya Manohar Theertha, peethadhipathi of Vyasaraj Mutt (Sosale).
During the past hearings, the court had formed a committee and held negotiations but the efforts did not yield any result.
A single judge bench upheld a May 26, 2012 state government order appointing K Jairaj, retired IAS officer, as administrator to oversee the mutt's affairs. The bench had observed that a Matadhipathi or Peetadhipathi, a religious head of a mutt, could only be a custodian and his rights cannot be regarded as the right to property or his fundamental right under the Constitution
Source : Times of India
