Bangalore: The Karnataka government on Thursday clarified it had no plans "at this stage" to take over religious institutions after seers of several mutts cautioned against any such move following what a state official called a poorly timed notification.

One top seer said the move was targeted only at Hindu institutions, while another warned that the government would "burn its hands" if it went ahead.

The January 29 notification had sought suggestions from "seers, priests, general public (and) temple administrations among others" on how to proceed with a plan to bring religious institutions of Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs under government control.

Rudrappa Lamani, minister for religious endowment, denied any government plan to take control of religious institutions.

"There is no such proposal at this stage and whatever is being said is far from the truth," the minister told the Assembly.

Sources said the clarification followed instructions from Congress chief minister P.C. Siddaramaiah, who faces Assembly elections barely three months from now.

Lamani, however, offered no explanations on the notification that was issued by a specially appointed committee under the department of religious endowments.

Till evening, the government had not withdrawn the notification.

According to the sources, the notification was aimed at pooling opinion on whether institutions belonging to these four religions should be included in proposed amendments to the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act, 1997.

Suggestions were also sought on the "extent of control" the government would exercise if the institutions were brought under its ambit.

State government sources said Siddaramaiah put his foot down, aware of the wider ramifications the notification was bound to have ahead of the polls. "The chief minister does not want to give the BJP an electoral issue," said an official.

"At best it looks like a poorly timed notification as it's not easy to take control of religious institutions unlike as in Kerala," he said.

The government controls most Hindu places of worship in the neighbouring state.

Lamani's clarification in the House came after several top seers voiced objections to any plan to take control over religious bodies in what they called a "biased" move that targeted Hindu institutions.

"If the government proceeds with its plan, I will not be part of any temple any more," Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swami, of the revered Pejawar Mutt, told reporters in Mangalore. "We cannot remain as slaves of the government by giving up our religious institutions."