‘Will take action against those who misused name, created confusion’: DK Shivakumar on Dharmasthala case

BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Friday spoke about the alleged Dharmasthala mass burial case, emphasizing the sacredness of the 800-year-old religious site.

He refrained from sharing details, noting that the Home Minister will provide an official response. The Deputy CM asserted that the government will take strict action against those misusing Dharmasthala’s name and creating confusion.

He said, “I believe I know about Dharamastala. It has very big history, 800 years of history. It’s a very sacred place, no one should misuse the name, no one should conspire on that. I’m very confident on that. Tomorrow, the Home minister will reply on that, I don’t want to talk about the details. Since I know well, it’s a big conspiracy. The government will definitely take action against those who misused the name and created lot of confusion. I can’t tell personally, but I’m confident whatever has shown in media is far from the truth”, he added.

Earlier this month, the state government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter related to alleged incidents of mass murder, mass rape, and mass burial in Dharmasthala town. The development follows a letter from the Karnataka State Women’s Commission (KSWC) requesting that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah form an SIT under the leadership of senior police officials to investigate the matter.

In their letter, the KSWC cited a media report which consisted of a statement from a person who had claimed that bodies were buried in the past 20 years in the region. The government order said that it was found appropriate to form a Special Investigation Team to investigate the cases registered under the relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Samhita (BNS) at the Dharmasthala police station.

Meanwhile, on the 79th Independence Day today, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hoisted the national flag at Field Marshal Manekshaw Parade Ground in Bengaluru, with Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar in attendance. Both leaders felicitated the parade commanders from various units, recognizing their contributions to the impressive march past with awards. (ANI)