Telangana HC orders notice against Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple renovation panel

Hyderabad: Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar of the Telangana High Court on Friday took on file a writ plea challenging the order of the state government seeking to constitute a renovation committee for Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple.

The State Temple Founder Trustees Association and another filed the writ petition questioning the powers of the government to appoint such committees.

It was contended that earlier when the government had proposed to nominate a board of trustees of these temples, it was challenged on the grounds that such powers were vested only with the Dharmika Parishad. During the pendency of the same, the government had proposed to nominate members for the renovation committee.

Senior counsel L. Ravichander pointed out that even the renovation of the temple had religious connotations and therefore should be outside the reach of a secular government.

Ravichander maintained that it is for the board of trustees to decide about the renovation. By constituting a renovation committee, the government would be doing indirectly what it is prohibited from doing directly.