NIA or CBI probe must: State BJP President

Dharmasthala: State BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra has exhorted the State Congress Government to hand over the case of conspiracy against Dharmasthala to either National Investigation Agency (NIA) or the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Vijayendra was addressing a mammoth convention on the outskirts here yesterday, as part of Dharmasthala Chalo, organised by the party to condemn the conspiracy and smear campaign against Dharmasthala.

Prior to the convention, Vijayendra, along with Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka, Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta, MLA R. Suneel Kumar and former Kolar MP S. Muniraju, visited Dharmasthala Sri Manjunatha Swamy temple and called on Dharmadhikari Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade.

Vijayendra said, people irrespective of religion have been vociferously demanding for either NIA or CBI probe. It has been the demand of Lord Manjunatha’s devotees. Even as Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the State Government was probing ‘mass burials’ case, smear campaign was launched transcending boundaries at national and international levels, much to the disappointment of crores of devotees, he noted.

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao had himself admitted that the Government was under tremendous pressure from the Leftists for SIT probe into the case. With the suspicion of foreign funding behind this conspiracy gaining ground, NIA or CBI should probe the same, Vijayendra demanded.

Quoting the statement of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who had spoken about the conspiracy against Dharmasthala, he said that those behind the same should be brought to light.

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, who buttressed the demand for NIA probe, suspected that the conspiracy to tarnish the image of Dharmasthala is still on.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka demanded that the SIT should cast the net wider to catch a bigger fish, rather than a smaller fish, for hatching a conspiracy in ‘mass burials’ case.

Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Chalavadi Narayanaswamy said, with the ulterior motive of defaming Dharmasthala, those having an unholy nexus, played a game with a burude from Dharmasthala to Delhi.