Karnataka BJP MLA G Janardhana Reddy has unleashed a scathing attack on Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil, accusing the Tamil Nadu MP from Tiruvallur of orchestrating a malicious propaganda campaign to defame the revered Dharmasthala temple in Dakshina Kannada. Reddy challenged Senthil, a former IAS officer, to face a CBI or NIA inquiry to prove his innocence in what he calls a “mass burial” smear plot, alleging that Senthil leveraged social media, YouTubers, and a mysterious “masked man” to tarnish the temple’s reputation.

The controversy stems from allegations by an anonymous former sanitation worker, who claimed to have been coerced into burying multiple bodies—including women and minors, some showing signs of sexual assault—during his employment at Dharmasthala between 1995 and 2014. The Karnataka government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe these claims of murders, rapes, and illegal burials, with Home Minister G Parameshwara confirming that bones and skeletons were found at two sites, pending forensic analysis.

Reddy dismissed Senthil’s defense that his accusations stem from a personal vendetta linked to Reddy’s 2011 mining scam arrest. “Senthil lied; he joined Ballari after my arrest on September 5, 2011, and had no role in my cases,” Reddy told reporters, asserting that Senthil’s tenure as Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner saw the seeds of this “anti-Hindu” conspiracy. Reddy pointed to Senthil’s 2019 resignation from the IAS, where he opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act, Article 370 abrogation, and the National Register of Citizens, as evidence of his ideological bias.

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The Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari, Dr. D Veerendra Heggade, has called the allegations “baseless” and welcomed the SIT probe, urging a swift resolution. Meanwhile, posts on X reflect polarized sentiments, with some supporting Reddy’s call for a deeper probe, while others question the credibility of the claims, citing the complainant’s recent retraction after admitting to being coached in Chennai. The escalating row has intensified political tensions, with BJP leaders like Yashpal Suvarna echoing Reddy’s accusations, while Congress defends Senthil, alleging a BJP smear campaign to distract from governance issues. As the SIT awaits forensic results, the case continues to fuel debates over faith, politics, and truth in Karnataka.

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