Karnataka Dy CM alleges BJP behind ‘conspiracy’ against Dharmasthala

Bengaluru, Sep 1 (PTI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday alleged that BJP workers were behind the "conspiracy" targeting Dharmasthala, claiming it stemmed from "internal rifts" within the saffron party.

Shivakumar, who also serves as state Congress President, accused the BJP of staging a "drama" by holding agitations linked to the Dharmasthala case.

"Are they not satisfied with the investigation done by the SIT? They are the ones who demanded the SIT; they welcomed it," Shivakumar said in response to questions about the BJP demanding a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the matter.

Without naming anyone specifically, he added while speaking to reporters here, "They never spoke up seeking justice. There is an internal fight between two groups in the BJP. This is their conspiracy. It is the BJP workers who planned it to tarnish Dharmasthala’s reputation. Now they are staging a drama." On Monday, the BJP held a 'Dharmasthala Chalo' rally in the temple town, demanding a central probe and condemning what it termed a "smear campaign". The party has also criticised the Congress government for its handling of the case.

The controversy erupted after a complainant, later identified as C N Chinnaiah and arrested on charges of perjury, claimed to have buried several bodies—including those of women showing signs of sexual assault—over the past two decades in Dharmasthala, implicating the local temple administrators.

The state-formed SIT, investigating these allegations, conducted operations at multiple sites along the forested banks of the Netravathi River in Dharmasthala, recovering skeletal remains at two locations. PTI KSU SSK