Bengaluru, Sep 5 (IANS) Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries M.B. Patil said on Friday that the visit of the delegation of religious seers, who met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and demanded a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the Dharmasthala case, was sponsored by the BJP.

Minister Patil said, “This is an act of the BJP. It must have been sponsored by the BJP, and in this background, the religious seers have gone to Delhi and met Union Minister Amit Shah.”

“They had initially maintained that they would oppose the SIT. Later, they welcomed the SIT. Haven’t you noticed that the SIT has done good work? They have carried out a commendable job, and people know it. Has there been any interference by the government in this? A comprehensive investigation is being conducted by the SIT, and now you are trying to play politics,” Patil said.

When asked about the religious seers themselves going to Delhi, Patil reiterated, “All of this is sponsored by the BJP. The delegation of seers meeting Amit Shah is sponsored. It’s a BJP tactic.”

A delegation of religious seers under the banner of ‘Sanatana Sant Niyog’ from Karnataka met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi on Thursday and demanded that the sensational Dharmasthala murders case be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The delegation was led by Vachanananda Swamiji of Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali Peeth in Harihara, along with seven other prominent religious seers.

The delegation submitted a memorandum to Amit Shah, stating that Dharmasthala was being targeted in the same way as other Hindu pilgrimage centres such as Sabarimala and Tirupati. The swamijis said they had no objection to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe but stressed that the conspiracy against the temple town of Dharmasthala must be exposed, which is why the case should be handed over to the NIA.

Jain Muni Gunadhar Nandi Maharaj stated that Amit Shah had assured the delegation of action against the conspirators in the sensational Dharmasthala murders case after convening a meeting on September 8.

Speaking to IANS on Thursday, Gunadhar Nandi Maharaj said, “Amit Shah told the delegation comprising seven sadhus and one of our mathadheesh, that he is closely monitoring developments regarding the Dharmasthala murders case and that he is also convening a special meeting on September 8 in this regard. Amit Shah assured us that directions would be issued to initiate action against the conspirators afterwards.”

–IANS

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