J&K Assembly rejects BJP MLA’s bill on temple protection; DyCM cites existing safeguards

Jammu, Mar 30: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Monday rejected by voice vote a private member’s bill by a BJP MLA for the protection and restoration of temples, including those encroached during militancy, in Jammu and Kashmir, with Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary citing existing safeguards.

Choudhary said Jammu and Kashmir’s strength lies in its tradition of communal harmony and equal respect for all religions, asserting that successive governments, including the present dispensation led by Omar Abdullah, have ensured protection of temples, mosques, gurdwaras and churches alike.

BJP MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia introduced the Bill, which sought “to provide for the protection of temples and retrieval of illegally occupied land in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir”.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was in the Assembly, stood up to say that he was opposing the Bill.

The BJP leader defended the bill, saying it seeks to institutionalise safeguards for the preservation and restoration of damaged temples, particularly those affected during the peak of terrorism in the Valley, where large-scale displacement left religious sites vulnerable to encroachment and destruction.

When the deputy chief minister rose to reply on behalf of the government, Mankotia initially objected, insisting that the chief minister should respond as he had opposed the Bill, but later relented following the Speaker’s intervention.

“I am part of the government led by Omar Abdullah. I take pride in representing the legacy of (National Conference president) Farooq Abdullah, who has always stood for all religions and visited temples, mosques, gurdwaras, and churches. Wherever he went, people of every faith felt he belonged to them,” the deputy chief minister said.

He said whenever the National Conference has been in power, all religious institutions have been protected.

“No religion or community has the right to encroach upon any sacred place of another, and no government has ever permitted such actions. This is the true essence and beauty of Jammu and Kashmir. Therefore, I do not believe there is a need for this Bill,” Choudhary said.

He said the government remains committed not just to protecting temples, but all religious places. “If any encroachment has occurred, strict action will be taken.” The deputy chief minister said J-K already have institutional mechanisms in place like the Waqf Board for Muslims, the Gurdwara Prabandhak Board for Sikhs, and the Dharmarth Trust for Hindu religious institutions.

“There are sufficient legal frameworks available. Our leadership is committed to strengthening communal harmony, hospitality, and brotherhood — values for which Jammu and Kashmir is widely appreciated across the country and the world,” he said.

With Mankotia declining to withdraw the Bill, Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather put it to a voice vote, and the House rejected it. (PTI)