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BJP member: Rai scuttled aid to RSS leader’s school

Mangaluru: BJP leader Harikrishna Bantwal has said that district minister B Ramanath Rai was well aware that the state government had withdrawn financial grant to Sri Mookambika Temple, Kollur, adopted schools in Dakshina Kannada district. The schools - Sri Rama Vidya Kendra, Kalladka and Sri Devi Vidya Kendra, Punacha, are run by Rai’s bete noire Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, RSS leader. Rai had distanced himself from this move at the height of the controversy.

Furnishing a copy of the letter written by Rai to CM Siddaramaiah on May 5 drawing his attention to continued patronage of two schools by Kollur temple and demanding that he rescind a GO dated June 20, 2007 facilitating this move,

Harikrishna said, adding that the letter is a proof to indicate Rai’s direct involvement in the issue. The fact that the chief minister passed orders rescinding the earlier GO on this letter on May 11 only proves the Congress government’s vindictiveness, he noted.

Ramanath Rai in the letter states that the two educational institutions in Bantwal taluk had obtained financial assistance of Rs 37 lakh in 2015-16 and Rs 56 lakh in 2016-17 from the religious endowment department through the temple.

Noting that there are several private educational institutions across the state, Rai had pointed that providing grants to only these two institutions is grossly against public interest.

Harikrishna said Rai’s letter glosses over the fact that several private educational institutions in the state receive such grants from the religious endowment departments through affluent muzrai temples.

Rai incidentally had justified the GO stating that decision has been taken as per the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Act and had even offered to make arrangements to start mid-day meals for children in these schools. The RSS and BJP had resorted to protests including collecting food grains as alms from households to provide mid-day meals to schools to counter the government’s move.