Karnataka government on Wednesday is set to repeal certain sections of the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act 1997.

The Karnataka government said that this move would be taken in order to uphold the secular nature of the Constitution.

The government's decision comes after controversy in Puttur over printing the name of Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim on the invitation card for this year's car festival at the Lord Mahalingeshwara temple in the locality.  

With this amendment, there would be a legal backing to the IAS officer to preside over the temple festival in his official capacity. Puttur MLA Shakuntala Shetty of the Congress had called a press meet at Puttur saying printing the name of the DC had given rise to discordant notes. As per provisions of the Hindu Religious Endowments Act, names of non-Hindus could not be printed in temple invitations, she had said.

The issue was highly debated in the Karnataka assembly on Tuesda. The Hindu reported Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T.B. Jayachandra promised to avoid such controversies in future by bringing an amendment to the Act on Tuesday.