MANGALURU: BJP leaders, led by party state President BY Vijayendra, visited Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala on Sunday and met Dharmadhikari D Veerendra Heggade to extend the party’s support in fighting the smear campaign against the temple. Vijayendra told reporters that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who failed to stop the misinformation being spread on social media against the Dharmasthala temple and the Heggade family, should apologise to the people of Karnataka.Demanding action against those who spread misinformation against the temple, Vijayendra said that the govt should table an interim report on the ongoing investigation by the SIT on the floor of the Legislature. When asked about allegations of a Tamil Nadu MP’s involvement in the Dharmasthala mass burial controversy, Vijayendra said he will not mention anyone’s name. “If Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar is a real devotee of the Dharmasthala temple, he should reveal the names of those behind this conspiracy. Shivakumar himself asserted during the Legislature Session that there was a ‘big conspiracy.’ If so, let Shivakumar and the govt disclose the conspiracy,” he said.Stating that the BJP has welcomed the SIT probe with the hope of bringing out the truth, he lamented that a smear campaign aimed at creating confusion and hurting the sentiments of crores of devotees is being carried out. To a query on Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre’s allegations that the BJP was behind the controversy, Vijayendra said that the BJP has not politicised the Dharmasthala issue. “What will be Khandre’s reaction to Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar’s ‘conspiracy’ claims and Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao’s statements that the SIT was formed due to the pressure from Leftists? All these need to be investigated,” he said.To a query on whether the BJP would demand the govt to wind up the SIT digging in Dharmasthala, Vijayendra said that he cannot dictate how the agency should conduct the probe. The BJP leaders, including Vijayendra, offered prayers at the temple and met Dharmadhikari D Veerendra Heggade.
