Dharmasthala Row Escalates: BJP Alleges Foreign Funding, CM Siddaramaiah Counters with Twist
Bengaluru: The Congress government in Karnataka has come under sharp attack from BJP leaders who accused it of launching a “systematic assault” on Dharmasthala, one of the most revered Hindu religious centers in the state. Senior BJP leader R. Ashoka alleged that the Congress, in collusion with so-called Urban Naxals, is attempting to “loot the wealth of Dharmasthala” under the guise of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe.
Ashoka claimed that conspiracies have been hatched for the past two years to destabilize the institution. “This is not about justice, but about destroying Dharmasthala politically. The Congress government has weaponized the SIT to achieve its political goals. Just as Ghazni Muhammad looted temples centuries ago, this government wants to plunder Dharmasthala’s wealth with the help of Urban Naxals,” he alleged.
Union Minister Prahlad Joshi, speaking in Hubballi, echoed the attack, accusing the Congress of “falling into a trap by believing a YouTuber’s claims” and pushing a toolkit-driven agenda to malign Hindu religious institutions globally. “This is not just an internal conspiracy; even international media is being misused to defame Hindu faith,” Joshi said, comparing the move to “a propaganda war sponsored by the Left ecosystem.”
ಇದನ್ನೂ ಓದಿ: Dharmasthala: ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಸರ್ಕಾರದ ಕುತಂತ್ರ ಬಯಲು ಎಂದ ಆರ್. ಅಶೋಕ್, ಪ್ರಹ್ಲಾದ್ ಜೋಶಿ, ಎಚ್.ಡಿ. ಕುಮಾರಸ್ವಾಮಿ
Meanwhile, Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy warned the Congress government of divine retribution. “The way the state has handled the Dharmasthala issue has insulted devotees. Manjunath Swamy himself will deliver justice to those indulging in such politics,” he remarked, questioning the government’s haste in forming an SIT based on “a politically motivated complaint.”
The BJP leaders alleged that taxpayer money worth ₹3–5 crore is being wasted on police deployment, SIT arrangements, and unnecessary expenses. They argued that the issue is less about investigation and more about targeting Hindu religious trusts to establish control.
With Ashoka, Joshi, and Kumaraswamy intensifying their attack, the Dharmasthala controversy has become another political flashpoint between the ruling Congress and opposition BJP in Karnataka, raising concerns about both governance and communal sensitivities.
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