A photo of a newspaper clipping which states that the state of Tamil Nadu will use around 2,000 kg of gold jewellery collected in the temples "to generate income," is going viral online.
The claim insinuates that this is a recent move from the state government and it also takes a dig at Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.
An archive can be seen here.
(Source: X/Screenshot)
(Archives of similar claims can be seen here and here.)
What's the truth?: This newspaper clipping is from 2021 when the Tamil Nadu government had appointed three judges to oversee three panels that will monitor works to melt jewellery collected as donations in temples into gold bars.
However, the Madras High Court later ordered the Tamil Nadu government to hold back from melting gold offerings in temples.
There has been no recent official announcement about this.
How did we find out the truth?: We performed a simple keyword search on Google using '2,000 kg gold jewellery melted for income in Tamil Nadu' and this led us to several news reports about this, but they dated back to 2021.
Some reports by India Today, The New Indian Express and Times of India shared in September and October 2021 stated that the Tamil Nadu government has appointed three judges to oversee three panels that would discuss melting the jewellery collected in temples and convert them into gold bars.
It also stated that around 36,400 temples come under the Tamil Nadu government's Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR&CE) department and they had planned to utilise this for temple development and other shrine-related activities.
This report is from 5 September 2021.
(Source: IT/Screenshot)
But that's not it...
According to a report shared by The News Minute on 28 October 2021, the Madras High Court ordered the Tamil Nadu government to "hold back from melting gold offerings in temples for now."
There has been no update on this matter since.
This report is from 28 October 2021.
(Source:TNM/Screenshot)
Conclusion: An old piece of information about the Tamil Nadu government deciding to melt gold jewellery from the temples is being shared as recent news.
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