DKS likely to visit Dharmasthala after Assembly session; BJP seeks probe into foreign funding

BENGALURU: The BJP is taking on the Congress government in the state over the alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala while the ruling party is preparing to counter-attack. As part of this strategy, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar is reportedly planning to visit Dharmasthala after the Assembly session to put a lid on the controversy.

DK Shivakumar had earlier stated that there was a conspiracy involved in the Dharmasthala issue. The Congress is reportedly banking on D K Shivakumar’s soft Hindutva image to counter the BJP’s allegations. He aims to diffuse the controversy and demonstrate his commitment to the cause by visiting Dharmasthala at the earliest possible.

The probable visit is seen as a strategic move by the Congress to answer the BJP and to show that Shivakumar is a devout person who respects the sacred places. The Congress is likely to use this visit to its advantage amidst the ongoing controversy.

On the other hand, the BJP is strongly alleging foreign funding to some organisatons in the Dharmasthala case to carry out a systematic plot against a religious centre. The BJP and Hindu organisations have accused some YouTubers and social media users of spreading false propaganda against Dharmasthala. They have demanded a thorough investigation into the matter, suspecting that foreign funds were used to spread the propaganda.

Although the BJP had previously requested the state government to conduct a separate investigation into the allegations of false propaganda, the state government has not yet taken any action. Now, BJP and pro-Hindu leaders are approaching the central government, demanding an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the foreign funding aspect.

Udupi MP Kota Srinivas Poojary has written to the Union Home Ministry seeking an ED investigation into the matter. Poojary has alleged that the propaganda was spread using foreign funds and that a toolkit was used to spread news article to go viral on foreign media platforms.

BJP and some Hindu leaders, including R Ashoka, are demanding an NIA investigation into the matter, as they believe that only a probe by a central agency can reveal the true extent of the conspiracy.