Dharmasthala secret burials case: Karnataka govt likely to table response in Legislative Assembly tomorrow
The response has also gained significance following the remarks made by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who has described the case to be a 'big conspiracy' to tarnish the reputation of the temple town. By these remarks, Shivakumar lent his voice to the allegations made by BJP legislators regarding the case over the past week.
On Sunday, a delegation of around 20 legislators under BJP state president B Y Vijayendra visited Dharmasthala and demanded an apology from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for failing to curb the 'misinformation campaign' targeting the temple town. This was in reference to the social media posts by some groups about the alleged crimes that took place around Dharmasthala.
The delegation met Rajya Sabha MP Dr Veerendra Heggade, who is also the Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala. Vijayendra criticised the government for failing to act against those making false allegations against Dharmasthala. On the remarks by Shivakumar, he urged him to 'immediately disclose information about those behind the conspiracy against Dharmasthala,' if the deputy CM was truly a devotee of the Sri Manjunatheshwara Temple located in the town.
Last week, the BJP had demanded that the state government table an interim report on the investigation carried out by SIT. On Thursday, during a discussion on the case at the Legislative Assembly, BJP MLA Sunil Kumar had contended that Left groups were carrying out a smear campaign against Dharmasthala and other Hindu places of worship. The exhumation carried out near the town, he said, would eventually 'shake the government'. 'The entire Cabinet should go to Dharmasthala and apologise,' he added.
The probe is based on a complaint filed by a whistleblower, who has alleged that he was forced to bury several bodies between 1998 and 2014. After exhuming multiple locations since July 29, the SIT is said to have found two skeletons.
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