The State Government on Sunday took over the administration of the Prasanna Veeranjaneyaswamy temple of Mahalakshmi Layout, a landmark in West Bangalore.
Sources in the government told The Hindu that the government passed the order to take over the administration of the temple on April 13 on the charge of maladministration.
The government said that there were serious irregularities in the administration and hence, it was necessary to take over the administration in the interest of devotees.
On Sunday morning, senior officials from the Muzrai Department as well as Bangalore Urban district administration symbolically took over the control of the temple by locking the Hundi and the temple administration office.
The process, however, invited protests from the members of the managing committee of the temple, who termed the action unjustified. They claimed that the entire administration was being carried out in a transparent manner. The members, who launched an agitation against the taking-over process on Saturday, continued it on Sunday.
They claimed that the government action has affected the sentiments of thousands of devotees who visit the temple everyday.
Terming the taking-over of the temple as anti-religious, the trust members demanded immediate revocation of the order and handing over of the temple administration to the managing committee.
