BJP’s Massive March to Defend Dharmasthala Temple
Yatra protests conspiracy against revered spiritual center.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched its ‘Dharmasthala Chalo Yatra’ on Monday, mobilizing thousands of supporters in a spirited convoy from Bengaluru to the sacred temple town of Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district. Under the rallying cry ‘Dharmada Ulivige Dharma Yuddha’ (A holy war to protect dharma), the march aims to counter what the BJP calls a malicious conspiracy targeting the revered Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala, home to the Lord Manjunath Swamy temple.
The yatra, spearheaded by Jayanagar MLA C K Ramamurthy, began with prayers at the Sri Vinayaka Temple in Jayanagar 4th Block. Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya and Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya flagged off the journey at NICE Road’s Link Road junction. “Shree Kshetra Dharmasthala, a spiritual beacon of our land, is under attack by an organized smear campaign,” Surya posted on X, condemning the “false propaganda” and demanding a CBI probe to uncover the alleged conspiracy against the temple’s administration.
The march follows a controversy sparked by C N Chinnaiah, who was arrested for perjury after making sensational claims about bodies, including those of women showing signs of sexual assault, being buried in Dharmasthala, implicating the temple’s administrators. The BJP has fiercely rejected these allegations, accusing detractors of maligning the sacred site. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar warned of strict action if the claims were proven false, while temple Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade welcomed the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.
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Upon reaching Dharmasthala, BJP leaders and workers plan to walk a kilometer to the Lord Manjunath Swamy temple to offer prayers and meet Heggade, expressing unwavering support for the shrine. Umesh Shetty, vice president of BJP’s Bengaluru South district unit, joined thousands of karyakartas in the yatra, which underscores the party’s commitment to defending the temple’s sanctity and its revered custodian.
The BJP’s march highlights escalating tensions over the controversy, with the party framing it as an attack on Karnataka’s cultural and spiritual heritage, rallying supporters to protect Dharmasthala’s legacy.
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