Mass burials and disappearances of women – Dharmasthala politics is heating up – BJP targeting congress government
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Amid investigation of allegations of mass burials and disappearances of women in Karnataka’s Dharmasthala, politics is heating up with the BJP targeting the Congress-led state government over the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe, and the state accusing the BJP of politcising the issue.
BJP Karnataka President BY Vijayendra on Friday lashed out and accused the Siddaramaiah government of prolonging the probe and doing nothing to stop the “propaganda” that is being spread on social media, according to a report by NDTV.
“We welcomed the investigation. The Chief Minister imagined that by digging pits, some big scandal would be unearthed. But even after digging 15-16 pits, they found nothing,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Vijayendra also accused the state government of not taking action against a propaganda to malign the temple town, and “hurting Hindu religious sentiments”.
Karnataka Health Minister and Minister in Charge of the Dakshina Kannada region Dinesh Gundu Rao, however, said the BJP never raised an eyebrow when a Special Investigation Team was being set up and is now trying to derive political mileage from the issue.
Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar also accused the BJP of trying to politicise the matter, and backed the SIT probe. “BJP is a customer of this. What they are doing is politics. The investigation team, led by senior officer Mohanty, is doing its job neatly,” he was quoted as saying by ANI on Friday. SIT chief Pranab Mohanty is overseeing the investigation.
What is the Dharmasthala mass burial case?
The temple town of Dharmasthala drew focus last month after a former sanitation worker alleged in a police complaint on July 3 that he had buried bodies of multiple women who were allegedly raped and murdered.
Following the complaint, an SIT was formed by the state government for a probe on July 19, which included exhumation and sample collection to retrieve skeletal remains, if any. The team identified a few spots based on the whistleblower’s statement and undertook the digging work.
Earlier this week, state home minister G Parameshwara informed the Karnataka Assembly that the excavation and exhumation work was being suspended till forensic analysis was complete.
While BY Vijayendra claims that nothing was found even after multiple pits were dug up, Parameshwara said earlier that skeletal remains were found at two locations and were sent for further probe.
Asked whether the BJP, which is also undertaking a ‘Dharma Yatra’ across Karnataka to protest against those “spreading propaganda” against the temple town and religious beliefs, was jumping the gun by not waiting for the SIT report, Mr Vijayendra said the party is not opposing the investigation but is against it being prolonged, according to NDTV.
Woman admits to making fake claims
Meanwhile, a woman who earlier claimed that her daughter had gone missing in 2003, a claim that became a flashpoint in the Dharmasthala row, has now retracted the allegation, saying it was fabricated.
“It is not true. There was never any daughter named Ananya Bhat,” the woman, identified as Sujatha Bhat said, saying she made the claims upon being persuaded by two prominent activists in the case.
