Siddaramaiah is behind conspiracy against Dharmasthala, says Ashok

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is behind the conspiracy to defame Dharmasthala, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashok said in Hubballi on Sunday.

“A gang of Urban Naxals with Leftist ideology is spreading slander against the holy place. I think of them as the ‘Dandupalya gang’ of dangerous Urban Naxals. The Chief Minister is responsible for letting loose such people among the citizens. Before he came to power, they were wandering for food in the jungles of Karnataka. Now, they are everywhere. They are spreading ill-will against Hindus and holy places like Dharmasthala,” he said.

“Some people are saying that they will drive a JCB (earthmover) into the Dharmasthala temple. Mr. Siddaramaiah is the reason for this, as he is the one who has invited the fanatic and Communist Naxals who were in the forests to the urban areas with a red carpet. They are spreading slander against Hindu temples because they have nothing else to do,” he said.

“We are not opposed to investigation in the Saujanya case or the SIT investigation. We are objecting to the Chief Minister forming the SIT after listening to some unreliable people. We are worried about the damage to the reputation of Dharmasthala,” he said.

“Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade’s reputation is not the issue. For us, Dharmasthala Manjunath Swamy is important. It is already clear that the Congress government is behind the whole episode. We will fight this issue in the Assembly session,” Mr. Ashok said.

“Every day, hundreds of cases are being filed by the public and organisations to be handed over to the CBI and SIT. The Opposition parties also demand this. Will the government hand over all such cases for investigation?” he asked.

“It is unfortunate that the police have filed an application in court and requested permission to investigate Dharmasthala. It is clear that the Chief Minister has a role in it,” he said.