A delegation of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) lead by Milind Parande, organising general secretary of Vishva Hindu Parishad met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on September 3 and submitted a proposed draft law seeking autonomy for Hindu temples in the state.
According to the representation, the VHP delegation presented a proposed draft seeking amendments to the Act for granting autonomy to Hindu temples in Andhra Pradesh, to which the Chief Minister gave a positive response, assuring that the matter would be considered.
आंध्र प्रदेश के मुख्यमंत्री श्री नारा चंद्रबाबू नायडू से भेट की। आंध्र प्रदेश में हिंदू मंदिरों को स्वायत्तता प्रदान करने के लिए अधिनियम में संशोधन की मांग करते हुए एक प्रस्तावित प्रारूप उनके सामने प्रस्तुत किया गया और उन्होंने सकारात्मक प्रतिक्रिया दी कि वे इस पर विचार करेंगे। pic.twitter.com/Wm10LUfMwR
— Milind Parande (@MParandeVHP) September 4, 2025
The detailed memorandum submitted to the CM stated: “During the British rule, the British Government, as part of a conspiracy, took over the maintenance of Hindu temples. Their viewpoint was that they can manage Hindus if they capture the management of temples. Even after independence, our governments are continuing the same practice through the Endowment Department (Devadaya Dharmadaya Sakha) by controlling the managements of all the temples. The Endowment officials have been maintaining the temples as business entities, not as Dharmik sansthans, where the true motive of Hindu temples is professing and propagation of Hindu Dharmik values.”
The memorandum recalled the public meeting ‘Haindava Sankharam’ held in Vijayawada on January 2025, where “lakhs of people from all over the state voluntarily participated and declared that Hindu temples and shrines should be out of the control of Government and should be maintained by themselves.”
The representation urged the state government to amend the Endowments Act and initiate the process of transferring the management of temples to devotees. It noted that the VHP has been pursuing the cause of freeing shrines from government control across the country.
VHP emphasised that Andhra Pradesh, under the present leadership, could emerge as the first state to set a model for granting genuine autonomy to temples. In this context, the VHP submitted a draft law specifically prepared for Andhra Pradesh, requesting the government to expedite the process and implement the necessary reforms without delay.
Along with Milind Parande, the VHP delegation included Gokaraju Ganga Raju, All India Vice-President, T. Ravi Kumar, State Secretary of VHP Andhra Pradesh, and others.
