GST on temples: BJP counters Jairam Ramesh's salvo, says 'constantly twisting facts'

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh (L) and BJP leader Amit Malviya (R).

After Nirmala Sitharaman said that the GST rates will come down further, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday took a potshot at the Centre and shared a news article on GST being imposed on temples.

This was countered by BJP leader Amit Malviya, who took to X to give a "Sunday evening tutorial" to the Congress leader and slammed him for "constantly twists facts just to score cheap political points on religious matters."

Taking to X on Sunday, General Secretary in-charge Communications of Congress, Jairam Ramesh, shared a translated version of a "truly extraordinary news item" by Dinamalar (Tamil daily newspaper).

Today's Dinamalar has a truly extraordinary newsitem on GST being imposed on Temples.Translation -GST Imposed on Temples: Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department Raises ConcernMadurai, March 9 The temples that generate revenue under the Hindu Religious &
Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) March 9, 2025

He posted, "Madurai, March 9 – The temples that generate revenue under the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department have now been subjected to GST (Goods and Services Tax). The GST and Central Excise Department has stated that the outstanding tax amount, along with penalties for unpaid dues, adds up to several crores of rupees."

"There are over 1,000 temples under the HR&CE Department that generate high revenue. GST, introduced in 2017 as a goods and services tax, had initially exempted temples, considering their religious nature and the services they provide to devotees. However, modifications were made to GST collection policies last year. Specifically, property rental income is now subject to 18% GST, which applies to temples as well," he added.

The post read, "Temples generate income through various sources such as prasadam sales, darshan fees, and lodging facilities. Although temple administrations argue that these are services for devotees, authorities have pointed out that their pricing structure resembles commercial transactions, making GST payment mandatory."

"Shocked by this development, the HR&CE Department is now trying to explain to GST authorities that temples function based on donations from devotees and operate primarily for religious purposes rather than commercial gain," his post further read.

In another post earlier in the day, Jairam Ramesh stated, "The Finance Minister has declared that GST rates will come down soon. The Indian National Congress has long argued that it is not just GST rates that need to be reduced but the entire GST regime that needs to be reshaped."

BJP responds

BJP leader Amit Malviya on Sunday slammed Jairam Ramesh for "misleading the public" and took a jibe at the entire Congress leadership for giving the Maha Kumbh a miss.

He took to X and posted, "Sunday Evening Tutorial for Jairam—who constantly twists facts just to score cheap political points on religious matters. Either his understanding of these issues is embarrassingly shallow, or he is deliberately misleading the public—just as the Congress party has done for decades."

Sunday Evening Tutorial for Jairamwho constantly twists facts just to score cheap political points on religious matters.Either his understanding of these issues is embarrassingly shallow, or he is deliberately misleading the publicjust as the Congress party has done for https://t.co/xyUDWMk8EV pic.twitter.com/qoPZpCi7Jw Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) March 9, 2025

He added, "Let’s set the record straight with facts from the official Parliamentary response dated February 3, 2025, which he has conveniently ignored: •GST rates and exemptions are determined by the GST Council—a constitutional body where both the Centre and States/UTs, including his now-defunct INDI Alliance partners, have a say in decision-making. •Temples and religious places already enjoy comprehensive GST exemptions, including: Supply of prasadam; Conduct of religious ceremonies; Renting of premises, community halls, or shops below legally defined thresholds. •Additionally, services provided by temples for religious and spiritual purposes under various sections of the Income Tax Act are also fully exempt from GST. •GST applies only to commercial activities—not religious or spiritual activities of temples."

While sharing the official Parliamentary response, Malviya questioned, "So, why is Jairam misleading people?"

In a strongly-worded post, the BJP leader also said that the party never misses a chance to lecture Hindus or flaunt Temple visits during elections, yet when it comes to actually participating in Hindu traditions, they disappear.

"Isn’t it ironic—and deeply hypocritical—that his Congress-DMK alliance, which governs Tamil Nadu and whose leaders shamelessly equate Sanatan Dharma with diseases like dengue and malaria, now pretends to care about Hindu temples? Enough with the crocodile tears and political theatrics! If he truly cared about Hindu temples, he would present the facts honestly instead of twisting them for political gains," Malviya stated.

"And speaking of hypocrisy—where was the entire Congress top leadership, including the Gandhi family, during the Maha Kumbh? Congress never misses a chance to lecture Hindus or flaunt Temple visits during elections, yet when it comes to actually participating in Hindu traditions, they disappear. Perhaps this newfound “love” for Hinduism is just for staged photo-ops—not genuine faith or cultural belief," he added.

Malviya asserted, "Stop pretending to defend Hindu interests while Congress and its alliance partners openly mock and attack them every day!"

Malviya also attested a document from the Ministry of Finance along with his post.