The party, led by its youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy, staged a rally titled 'Dharmasthala Sathya Yatre'. On reaching Dharmasthala, JD(S) leaders marched from the Netravati riverbank to the Lord Manjunatha temple, where they offered prayers and later met the temple's Dharmadhikari, Veerendra Heggade, extending their support
SIT at the Dharamsthala temple premises. File Pic
JD(S) on Sunday demanded a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into allegations of multiple rapes, murders, and burials in Dharmasthala, aiming to identify those behind the alleged "conspiracy and smear campaign" against the holy site and suspected foreign funding.
The party, led by its youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy, staged a rally titled 'Dharmasthala Sathya Yatre'. On reaching Dharmasthala, JD(S) leaders marched from the Netravati riverbank to the Lord Manjunatha temple, where they offered prayers and later met the temple's Dharmadhikari, Veerendra Heggade, extending their support.
Nikhil said his father, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, had spoken to Heggade over the phone, offering moral support on behalf of the party and JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda.
Addressing the gathering, Heggade said the kshetra "always follows the path of truth".
"I won't speak much, as the SIT probe is not completed. Until it is completed, I will not speak much. It is my responsibility to ensure that no mistakes take place in the kshetra. I'm ensuring that no mistakes or untoward things happen here. Despite that, when some allegations come, we are ready to face them. Such incidents have not taken place and will never take place in our kshetra," he said.
Earlier, Nikhil Kumaraswamy told reporters that the NIA should take over the probe to ensure it reaches a logical conclusion.
"There is no question of doing politics in the Dharmasthala issue. All of us should stand for 'Dharma', and the truth should win. Some anti-social elements have conspired and are behind this episode of spreading misinformation. As devotees of Dharmasthala, we want the truth to come before the people," he added.
He further claimed there is suspicion that some international media houses and YouTube channels have been encouraged in a "very organised and systematic way to produce content portraying Dharmasthala negatively."
"As there may be international funding for this conspiracy, we, on behalf of JD(S), and as devotees of Dharmasthala, demand that the NIA should take over the probe," Nikhil claimed.
Highlighting earlier remarks by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on a conspiracy against Dharmasthala, Nikhil said his father would seek a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to push for an NIA investigation.
"The union minister (Kumaraswamy) will address the media in New Delhi to share some information he has gathered from reliable sources regarding the role of people in the close circles of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah behind the government forming the SIT to probe the case," he said.
The controversy erupted after complainant C N Chinnaiah, later arrested on charges of perjury, claimed to have buried multiple bodies, including women with signs of sexual assault, in Dharmasthala over the past two decades, implicating temple administrators.
The state-formed SIT has carried out search operations at multiple locations along the Netravati River, recovering skeletal remains at two sites.
Alleging that the SIT probe "has failed to uncover the truth while causing reputational damage to Dharmasthala", Nikhil said, "The SIT should have conducted a preliminary investigation into Chinnaiah, his background, and his intentions when he (allegedly) came with a skull and some skeletal remains. Instead of inquiring about him first, all other things were done."
JD(S) alliance partner BJP will hold a similar "Dharmasthala Chalo" rally on September 1.
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