Kolada Mutt seer Shantaveera Swami on Wednesday said former Muzrai minister V S Acharya’s death was due to his neglecting the archakas (temple priests). He added that Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, who holds the Muzrai portfolio, will meet a similar fate if he neglects the demands of ‘archakas’.
Speaking at a convention of archakas of Muzrai temples here, the Lingayat seer said: “Acharya died within five days after he failed to hear the priests’ grievances. This government has the curse of archakas as the Chief Minister is not ready to hear their problems. He (Gowda) will not remain in office,” said the seer.
The seer, however, was effusive in his praise for former CM B S Yeddyurappa saying that he had increased the emoluments to archakas. “Had he continued as CM, he would have definitely increased the monthly remuneration to the priests to Rs 12,000,” he said.
The seer said why the can’t government pay the archakas’ well when it gets an annual income of over Rs 150 crore through hundi collections. He sought provision of facilities to priests on par with that of Group ‘D’ employees. “If you can’t manage, leave us alone. We will take care of ourselves with the help of devotees,” he said, warning of intense protests on failure to fulfill demands of archakas in a day or two.
He criticised the Rajya Dharmika Parishat, stating that it comprises “foolish” people. “Its chairman is a retired High Court judge who will not have any knowledge of our problems... one day, they will demolish all temples and send the priests home.”
He attacked the government for not releasing funds for the Agama Patashalas and linking it to Sanskrit University. The seer termed the University a “mental hospital” and its Vice-Chancellor of having no knowledge of Sanskrit.