Udupi, (THe Hindu): Vidyadheesha Tirtha Swami of Paryaya Palimar Mutt said on Wednesday that the State government should not interfere in the matters of religious institutions. He was reacting to reports telecast by some channels that the government was planning to take over the mutts here.

The Palimar seer said that the government had a lot of work to do and should attend to it, instead of meddling in the matters of religious institutions. The heads of the religious institutions were capable of handling these matters. There were many examples of the government handing over its organisations to the private sector as the former was unable to handle them.

The religious institutions were confined to propagating religion and providing guidance to devotees. They did not exist for making money. “The government’s interference in religious matters is akin to putting one’s hand in a fire. People will oppose it tooth and nail. We will try to create public opinion on it,” he said.

“Earlier, the government had tried to interfere in the matters of Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple and burnt its fingers. The courts had ruled in our favour (that is, in favour of the Ashta Mutts of Udupi). The government should not resort to politics of vengeance. It should desist from going on the wrong,” the Palimar seer said.