Dharmasthala case: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accuses BJP of doing politics, ‘won’t get any political benefit’

Terming the BJP’s ‘Dharmasthala Chalo’ rally as ‘politics’, Karnataka Chief Minister Sidddaramaiah said that the opposition party will not get any political benefit from the issue.

Calling BJP’s conduct in the Dharmasthala and Chamundi hill issue ‘hypocrisy’, the Chief Minister said, “They feel that Hindus will unite with them because of what they are doing, but they are wrong. I’m also a Hindu.”

BJP leaders and legislators are holding a ‘Dharmasthala Chalo’ rally in the temple town on September 1 condemning the alleged conspiracy and smear campaign against Dharmasthala. They have demanded an NIA probe into the case.

“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,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said in response to a question on September 1.

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, he said, “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?”

To a question on the BJP warning of a ‘Chamundeshwari temple chalo’ on Chamundi hill and temple issue, the CM said, “BJP feels that Hindutva will get strengthened by doing such things, and Hindus will unite with them.

“I’m also a Hindu.....Haven’t we built Rama mandira in our village? It is not about doing politics, false propaganda, and lying in their name. There should be humanity, whoever it is. If one doesn’t have humanity and has inhuman behaviour, they are not humans,” he added.

On August 31, Leader of Opposition in Assembly R. Ashok had warned of launching a ‘Chamundeshwari devastana (temple) chalo’ rally, alleging that Hindu religious centres are being targeted by the ruling Congress, as part of a ‘tool kit’, by claiming that the Chamundi Hill, which houses the famous Chamundeshwari temple and the goddess there, does not belong to Hindus alone.

Last week, a controversy erupted after Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar said Chamundi Hill and Goddess Chamundeshwari belong to every religion, and it is not the property of Hindus alone. The statement drew a sharp response from the opposition BJP.

Accusing the BJP of trying to do politics in Mysuru Dasara, Mr. Siddaramaiah said, “Do they know anything other than lying?”

“Banu Mushtaq is a Kannada writer. She was invited to the Dasara inauguration as she is the winner of the International Booker Prize. How many have got this prize? As a mark of respect to her achievement, she has been invited to inaugurate the Dasara,” he said, adding that not all Hindus are with the BJP.

Responding to a question about the controversy becoming bigger after Deputy CM D. K. Shivakumar’s remarks, the CM said, “I won’t say whether it is the property of Hindus or Muslims. It may be a property of Hindus, but Dasara is a Nada Habba (State festival), which is celebrated by Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jains together. We are celebrating it that way.

“I don’t know (about Mr. Shivakumar’s statement), but this Dasara celebration does not belong to Hindus alone. We are celebrating Mysuru Dasara. Chamundi hill is not the subject.”

Objections have been raised by BJP leaders and others to the State Government’s decision to invite Banu Mushtaq to inaugurate the Dasara festivities, following an old video that went viral, in which she has reportedly expressed reservations about worshipping the Kannada language as ‘Goddess Bhuvaneshwari’.

On September 1, several BJP leaders, including its State unit president B. Y. Vijayendra and Mysuru MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, asked Ms. Mushtaq to clarify her reverence towards Goddess Chamundeshwari before consenting to inaugurate the Dasara.

Ms. Mushtaq, on her part, said that her statement has been distorted on social media by using selected parts of her old speech.