Bengaluru, Aug 13 (IANS) Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Prahlad Joshi on Wednesday charged that the Karnataka government has acted “extremely irresponsibly” in handling the Dharmasthala case.

Joshi alleged that the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is now changing his stance, as nothing has been found at the alleged burial sites.

He said that Siddaramaiah, who had formed the SIT and ordered the investigation, is now claiming that the government has no role.

“Wasn’t it you who hastily set up the SIT and ordered the excavation? In the 13 sites excavated in Dharmasthala, only soil has been turned over so far. No substantial evidence or human remains, as claimed by the anonymous complainant, have been found,” he claimed.

He further criticised, saying that Siddaramaiah is now saying that the government has no role in the Dharmasthala investigation merely to avoid tarnishing the government’s image.

Joshi asked whether it is possible to form the SIT in the Dharmasthala case without the CM’s involvement. Instead of conducting a proper police investigation, Joshi alleged, the government engaged in mere digging and piling soil.

Dharmasthala has a long-standing history and is a sacred site visited by millions every day. Joshi condemned the state government for playing with people’s trust, calling its actions highly irresponsible and strongly condemnable.

Joshi further criticised Siddaramaiah’s statement in the Congress legislature Party (CLP) meeting that the “government has no role in the Dharmasthala investigation,” and retorted, “Wasn’t it Siddaramaiah who himself formed the Special Investigation Team (SIT)?”

Regarding the anonymous claim that human bodies were buried at 13 locations in the dense forests near Netravathi Ghats, Joshi criticised that despite forming the SIT during ongoing debates, no evidence has been found at the excavation sites, and now the CM’s claim that “the government has no role in the investigation” is both tragic and condemnable.

Karnataka BJP State President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra announced on Wednesday that party legislators will visit the temple town of Dharmasthala on August 17 to seek the blessings of Lord Manjunatheshwara.

He also said that the investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the mass grave allegations at Dharmasthala should conclude soon.

The development has assumed significance in the backdrop of the ongoing investigation into the mass grave case at Dharmasthala.

Giving details about the visit to the pilgrimage centre, Vijayendra said, “Next Sunday, August 17, we will visit Dharmasthala along with all senior legislators and MLCs. We will take darshan of Lord Manjunatheshwara and return. We are visiting Dharmasthala as devotees of Lord Manjunatha rather than as BJP party workers.”

–IANS

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