TV9 BANGALORE: Despite the High Court’s verdict, the two groups of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) continue to spar over controlling the temple properties in the city.
Mumbai ISKCON has announced that it has constituted a supervisory committee to oversee the affairs of ISKCON Bangalore branch and the defacto Bangalore ISKCON termed the committee as unconstitutional.
Speaking to the reporters, the chairman of Mumbai ISKCON Legal Committee Dayaram Dasa said that the governing council of Mumbai ISKCON has passed a resolution in accordance with the rules and regulations of ISKCON to constitute a supervisory committee consisting of himself, Varadakrishna Dasa, Muralyshyam Dasa, Rajendra Kamatgouda and S P Rajeshwari to supervise the affairs of ISKCON Bangalore.
The committee has been directed to file a report on the procedures of worship, accounting, cash handling and other issues. While accusing Madhupandit Dasa of various fraudulent activities including cheating the people and creating false documents to usurp the properties of ISKCON, Dayaram Dasa said: “This is not a dispute between Mumbai ISKCON and Bangalore ISKCON as claimed by Madhupandit Dasa, but a dispute between ISKCON and Madhupandit Dasa.
The committee has been directed to file a report on the procedures of worship, accounting, cash handling and other issues. While accusing Madhupandit Dasa of various fraudulent activities including cheating the people and creating false documents to usurp the properties of ISKCON, Dayaram Dasa said: “This is not a dispute between Mumbai ISKCON and Bangalore ISKCON as claimed by Madhupandit Dasa, but a dispute between ISKCON and Madhupandit Dasa.
There are around 180 ISKCON temples in the country and all of them, except the Bangalore branch, are functioning properly. Since 2000, Madhupandit Dasa has been maintaining the accounts in a different name though he was supposed maintain them in Mumbai ISKCON’s name.
He has brought properties, constructed flats and sold them to many people from the money that belonged to Mumbai ISKCON. In the process, he has cheated many people.”However, Madhupandit Dasa, the president of defacto Bangalore ISKCON, has termed the committee as unconstitutional.
Through a press release, he said that it is a ploy of Mumbai ISKCON to prevent him from appealing against the High Court’s verdict in the Supreme Court.
Mumbai ISKCON has done such an act though the High Court has restrained it from dislodging him as the president of the branch by invoking the bylaws, Madhupandit Dasa said. He claimed that he had fought a legal battle and the transfer of the temple should also take place legally under the supervision of the court as the temple has a lot of properties.
