Dharmasthala case: Karnataka Congress echoes BJP's voice as SIT probe hits a dead end

After 16 days of exhumation in Dharmasthala by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) yielded no significant evidence (skeletal remains) related to any mass burial as claimed by the complainant—a former sanitation worker—the ruling Congress, on Thursday, joined the BJP's chorus in dubbing the incident a "big conspiracy" to tarnish Dharmasthala, a revered pilgrim centre of the Hindus. The saffron party asked the ruling party to make a statement on the progress of the SIT probe in the House. 

Two days after BJP MLA from Karkala V. Sunil Kumar raised the Dharmasthala issue during the zero hour in the ongoing legislature session, alleging that some "invisible hands" were behind the "smear campaign" against the Dharmasthala temple, Home Minister G. Parameshwara stated that the Congress government was not against the Dharmasthala temple authority. He urged the opposition leaders not to make it a political or religious issue and asserted that the state government was only trying to find out the "truth" and "clear the air" once and for all, as the allegations had made even the devotees of the Dharmasthala temple weary and confused.

  

"The government did not form the SIT, yielding to any pressure. Let me make it very clear. Our only intent is to bring the truth out and deliver justice. We have huge respect and devotion towards Dharmastala. I visited the temple several times. I have even taken former President Abdul Kalam to the temple as a minister," said Parameshwara, adding that the Indian government had honoured Dr Veerendra Heggade with the coveted Padmashri Award for his unparalleled contribution to the society. 

"Many women are taking to the streets in protest and in support of the Dharmasthala administration as the self-help groups and the educational institutions set up by Dr Heggade have supported the livelihood of thousands of women and empowered them. We formed the SIT to investigate and put an end to all apprehensions and doubts in the minds of people about the temple administration or Dr Heggade," said the home minister, who vehemently denied that the Congress government was being partisan.

"From the point of justice, we have ordered a police probe. But any probe has to come to an end, and when it does end, the truth will come out. We are not blindly following the complainant. If his allegations are proved to be false, the new law (Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023) has provisions to punish him. Has our government interfered in the probe? We have given the SIT a free hand only to bring the truth out. We did nothing wrong," asserted Parameshwara, adding that he would make a detailed statement on Monday. 

Big conspiracy, says deputy CM

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar also claimed that there was a "big conspiracy" behind the case and people behind it would be exposed on Monday. "It is a well-planned conspiracy to tarnish someone. I will not reveal who has done it. There has been a constant effort to tarnish the image of someone and ruin the long-running tradition and legacy of the temple town. We are all devotees of the temple. But the masked man has made a statement before the court. It is an empty box making a lot of noise. Many MLAs and the CM have expressed that the probe should reach a logical end. The one who does wrong should be punished, but one should not target any religion or make claims without any evidence. We only followed the legal procedure," said Shivakumar. 

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, who is also the Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister, said the government is only pro-truth and would probe into who is behind the unnamed complainant (masked man). 

"Till now, we have found nothing in the exhumation. The whole incident was publicised in such a way that it attracted attention worldwide. Initially, the state government had agreed to a police probe. But prominent personalities and organisations portrayed it as a horrendous and unprecedented crime and we instituted a SIT probe. Since we found nothing, we might have to look into the real intent of these people (who demanded an SIT probe) and the purpose of trying to tarnish the image of the place or creating suspicion and fear in the minds of people," said Rao. 

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah chose to distance himself from the controversy by stating that he had not yielded to any pressure before forming the SIT probe. "In fact, I came to know about the mass burial claims only after my legal advisor apprised me about it," said Sidadramaiah.

BJP alleges procedural lapses 

BJP MLA Arvind Bellad said, "It is not just a discussion on the Dharmastala pilgrim centre or the Veerendra Heggade family, but on the assault on a Hindu place of worship. If a masked man comes and claims that he has buried the bodies of those murdered, he is a co-conspirator or co-accused in the case. He should have been arrested first. But he was neither arrested nor any action was taken against him.  He was not interrogated to find out who was with him when he carried out the alleged burials. Instead, he was given VIP treatment. He has become the face of a systematic attack on the sentiments of Hindus."

Bellad also reminded that a police station was set ablaze in KJ Halli and DG Halli (in Bengaluru) over a single case (of hurting religious sentiment). "But today, when there is a constant attack on the Hindus' sentiment, the Hindu community is quiet, not because it does not want to retaliate. They are only waiting for an opportune time to hit back," warned Bellad. 

Expelled BJP MLA from Vijayapura Basanagouda Patil Yatnal demanded that the SIT should be disbanded immediately and the complainant should be subject to narco analysis test to expose the racket. "The SIT should immediately stop digging up Dharmasthala - a sacred place for Hindus. The police are digging up based on a masked man's claims. Tomorrow, will the SIT dig up the temple or the Bahubali betta (hills) if that man claims he has buried the bodies underneath them? So, the government must disband the SIT, and the CM should disclose the SIT's final report in the House on Monday. It is an international conspiracy to defame the temple and the Hindu community. The YouTube influencers have got foreign funding to tarnish the image of the temple town and their bank accounts should be probed," said Yatnal.