Dharmasthala case: ‘BJP doing politics’ CM Siddaramaiah says as party rallies to condemn 'smear campaign', demands NIA probe

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called the BJP’s Dharmastala Chalo rally “politics” and said that the party will not get any political benefit out of doing it.

He called the BJP’s approach toward the mass burial case “hypocrisy”. The Chief Minister said that the party was doing it because they felt like all Hindus would unite for the cause, but that they were wrong. He said, “I am also a Hindu. Being Hindu is not about politics and spreading false propaganda or telling lies.”

BJP leaders in Karnataka, meanwhile, organised the ‘Dharmasthala Chalo’ rally at the temple town. The rally was held to condemn the alleged conspiracy and smear campaign against Dharmasthala. The leaders also demanded an NIA probe into the people who organised the conspiracy. Nearly 1 lakh people attended the rally to show solidarity against the attempt to “vilify the temple and its traditions."

Speaking to the reporters, the CM said, "Let them (BJP) do it, they are doing things for politics. They feel that they will benefit from it politically, but they won't get any benefit. We (Congress) have a lot of respect for Dharmasthala and Lord Manjunatha. But they are doing politics,"

The CM also questioned the timing of the agitations and the rallies, saying, "Why did they not do it (agitation) at the beginning when the SIT was formed? After so many days, on getting to know that nothing was found (in excavations), they have started it. Isn't it hypocrisy?"

Meanwhile, Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra alleged that the claims of multiple rapes and burials in Dharmasthala were a “very big conspiracy” and demanded that the case be handed over to the NIA or the CBI.

Vijayandra, Leader of the opposition, R Ashoka, and other BJP legislators and leaders all participated in the Dharmastala rally. Before the rally, the leaders had already visited the temple and even met the temple custodian there.

Speaking to the gathering, he accused the Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of having failed to deliver justice to the Hindu community.

While speaking to PTI, he had said, "The issue here is, irrespective of caste, creed, and religion, everybody is demanding a thorough investigation by CBI or NIA. It is a must in the Dharmasthala episode. This is the demand of all the devotees of Dharmasthala lord Manjunatha." "Crores and crores of devotees are upset, the way in which the false propaganda has been carried out at the national and international level. The sentiments of the devotees are hurt," he added.

The BJP chief also pointed out that the Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Dinesh Gundu said that there was a lot of pressure from leftist groups on the state government for the investigation.

The Dharmathala controversy started when a complainant who has now been identified as C N Chinnaiah claimed that he was forced to bury hundreds of bodies, including women and children who were sexually assaulted in Dharmasthala over a period of two decades. The implication was that the administrators of the local temple were involved. The man has now been arrested on charges of perjury and is being investigated.

On Sunday, JD(S) held a 'Dharma Thala Sathya yatre' in the area with a similar demand.