Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday dismissed the allegations of mass burials in Dharmasthala, calling it a “dud case” and a “well-planned conspiracy” aimed at tarnishing the temple town’s centuries-old legacy.
Speaking to reporters, Shivakumar claimed that there was a deliberate attempt to defame Dharmasthala. “I won’t say who is behind it, but it’s a planned strategy to destroy a tradition of hundreds of years. This case is an empty trunk that’s just making noise,” he remarked.
His comments come even as the Special Investigation Team (SIT) — set up by the Congress government — continues to probe the allegations, which have been under investigation for nearly a month. Citing sentiments across religions, Shivakumar stressed that while the guilty will not be shielded, the case itself was fabricated.
He also took aim at the complainant, referring to them as a “masked man” whose court statement prompted the official inquiry. During the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting on Tuesday, Shivakumar, along with lawmakers K.M. Shivalinge Gowda, Ashok Kumar Rai, and Belur Gopalakrishna, urged legal action against those spreading misinformation. The chief minister also reportedly called for “indiscriminate action” against such individuals.
In the Assembly earlier, Shivakumar reaffirmed his faith in Dharmasthala’s hereditary administrator, Veerendra Heggade, and urged the BJP not to politicise the issue. “We value the bond between devotee and deity. The Congress government stands by the temple’s philosophical and religious mission,” he said, attributing the controversy to internal disputes.