Temple Repairs Crowd Funding Issue: Activist Says HR&CE Refuses To Accept Money He Collected For Repair

Karthik Gopinath, a well known video blogger from Tamil Nadu, has filed a writ petition in the Madras High Court against the HR&CE department.

He wants the temple controlling HR&CE department to recognize him as a donor and accept the amount of approximately 30 lakh rupees. The donation is meant for the restoration of idols of the Periyaswamy temple (a sub-temple of Madurakaliamman temple) at Siruvachur in Perambalur district. The idols at the said temple had been damaged by miscreants.

According to Gopinath, the Advocate General R Shunmugasundaram, who appeared for the HR&CE Commissioner opposed his petition. Later the judge, Justice PD Audikesavulu adjourned the case by a week.

Gopinath tweeted ‘’Have you seen a government that refuses to accept money collected from the public for temple construction? The advocate general appears on behalf of the state to oppose my request No wonder it is called anti Hindu government by many!’’

Gopinath had raised the funds through the crowdfunding platform Milaap, last year. But he was arrested by the Tamil Nadu police on the grounds of ‘misusing’ funds and not being authorized by the temple or the HR&CE department to collect funds.

The police arrested him after a complaint by the Executive Officer of the Madurakaliamman Temple at Siruvachur.

The allegation of misuse of funds came up because some donors mistakenly deposited money in his personal account. Gopinath had clarified that he was willing to donate the money received in his personal account for the restoration of the idols.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president K Annamalai had criticised the arrest and tweeted that the DMK was resorting to intimidatory tactics and using completely trumped-up charges to silence an uncomfortable voice.