The Opposition BJP has demanded that the Karnataka government present an interim report on the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) ongoing probe into alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala.
During Zero Hour in the Assembly, BJP MLA V Sunil Kumar said a prominent Hindu religious centre was being unfairly targeted on social media under the guise of the investigation. “We welcome the probe, but attempts to ridicule Dharmasthala are affecting people’s faith. Whoever spreads misinformation against religious beliefs must face action,” he stated.
The SIT has been conducting excavations at multiple locations, including a ninth site covered with a green shade net in Dharmasthala police station limits, based on claims from an anonymous source. Kumar criticised the lack of concrete findings and urged the government to safeguard the sanctity of Dharmasthala.
Home Minister G Parameshwara said the SIT was formed following public demands and stressed that the inquiry would not continue indefinitely. “We can’t dig at hundreds of places. The SIT will submit a report, and once it’s ready, I’ll share details,” he said.
Senior BJP leader S Suresh Kumar recalled minister Dinesh Gundu Rao’s earlier comment that left-wing groups had sought the probe, while Rao insisted his government remained impartial.
Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka pressed for a ministerial statement, but Parameshwara declined, saying he had nothing more to add. Sunil Kumar warned that prolonged digging based on unverified claims could damage public trust.