United in Faith: Dharmasthala Confronts Controversy with Devotion

Thousands of devotees and BJP representatives rallied in Dharmasthala amidst allegations of misconduct at the temple. Amidst protest and prayer, leaders called for a CBI inquiry into the claims targeting the revered shrine, asserting the community's unwavering support for Dharmasthala against a purported smear campaign.

In a powerful demonstration of support for Dharmasthala, thousands of devotees, along with elected officials and BJP members, gathered in the renowned temple town on Monday. The event coincided with the BJP's Bengaluru South unit initiating a 'Dharmasthala Chalo Yatra,' intended to protest alleged attempts to defame the sacred site.

Jayanagar MLA C K Ramamurthy led the yatra, which started with a prayer session at the Sri Vinayaka Temple in Jayanagar and was inaugurated by Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya and Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya. Surya took to social media platform 'X' to label Dharmasthala as ''a victim of an organised conspiracy,'' demanding a CBI probe into allegations against the temple administration.

The controversy began when C N Chinnaiah, later arrested for perjury, claimed that bodies, including those of assaulted women, were buried in Dharmasthala. Temple custodian Dharmadhikari D Veerendra Heggade supported the formation of a SIT investigation. Close to 5,000 devotees from Dakshina Kannada district participated in a collective prayer session and religious offerings to uphold the shrine's integrity.

(With inputs from agencies.)