Siddaramaiah should apologise for allowing smear campaign against Dharmasthala temple, says Vijayendra

Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra on Sunday (August 17, 2025) sought an apology from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and alleged the CM failed to prevent “smear campaign” and “slander” against Dharmasthala Manajunatha temple and its administrators using the investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged burial of bodies in Dharmasthala village more than a decade ago.

Speaking to reporters in Dharmasthala after visiting the temple with many other BJP MLAs and MLCs, Mr. Vijayendra urged the State government to reveal the details of the “conspiracy” behind the case to tarnish the reputation of the temple and its administrators as stated by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar last week.

Stating that the BJP is not indulging in any politics over the Dharmasthala matter, Mr. Vijayendra said that by indulging in smear campaign using social media there is a conspiracy to create confusions in the minds of devotees over the temple and its administrators.

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He said that Minister in-charge of Dakshina Kannada Dinesh Gundu Rao, who is also the Minister for Health and Family Welfare, went on record a few days ago that the government ordered the SIT probe bowing to the pressure by the Leftist groups. In addition, Mr. Shivakumar has said that there is a conspiracy behind the case.

The government should have controlled the smear campaign and slander against the temple during the case but it did not and so the CM should apologise, Mr. Vijayendra said.

Mr. Vijayendra said that Mr. Shivakumar has stated that the details of the conspiracy will be revealed at an appropriate occasion. “When will that occasion will arise? How long the smear campaign and slander against the temple and its administrators should continue ?,” he asked.

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The government should conduct an inquiry to find out the forces behind the smear campaign and slander, the BJP State president said.

Mr. Vijayendra said that the Deputy Chief Minister told the Legislative Assembly last week that he was an ardent devotee of Dharmasthala Manjunatha temple. “If so, he should reveal who are all behind the conspiracy,” Mr. Vijayendra added.

C. T. Ravi, MLC, said that the government should conduct an inquiry against those who indulged in slander and smear campaign against Pattadhikari of Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala D. Veerendra Heggade and the temple.

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Captain Brijesh Chowta, MP, Dakshina Kannada, Chaluvadi Narayanaswamy, Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, N. Ravi Kumar, K. Prathapsimha Naya, Kishore Kumar Puttur, all MLCs, S. R. Vishawanath, Y. Bharat Shetty, D. Vedavyasa Kamath, Bhagirathi Murulya, Yashpal Suvarna, Harish Poonja, Gururaj Ghantiholi MLAs were among those who were present on the occasion.

All of them met Mr. Heggade, who is also a Rajya Sabha Member, and expressed their solidarity with the temple to prevent the smear campaign and slander against the temple.

Of them, Mr. Vishwanath, MLA of Yelahanka, led a rally of about 400 four-wheelers from Nelamangala to Dharmasthala on Saturday (August 16, 2025) to express solidarity with the temple.