Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], August 25 : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tejasvi Surya on Monday raised questions about the Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's decision to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe allegations of murders at Dharmasthala, a prominent Hindu institution in Karnataka.
Surya alleged that the SIT was formed hastily without preliminary investigations, sparking concerns about the government's motives.
He questioned the urgency in forming SIT, the bias towards Hindu institutions, Delhi leaders' Involvement, masked man's identity, funding and orchestration of alleged murders at Dharmasthala.
"I have five specific questions for CM Siddaramaiah who showed great urgency and enthusiasm in constituting an SIT to investigate the thousands of alleged murders that took place in Dharmsthala. It is now beyond clear that this was a larger conspiracy by an entire ecosystem to defame and destabilise a very important Hindu institution in Karnataka. We are told that a certain section of senior police officers in Karnataka adviced the state government to not hurriedly constitute an SIT before preliminary investigations were made on the allegations made by this unnamed masked man and verify these credentials...," Surya told ANI.
The controversy surrounding Dharmasthala has sparked intense debate, with Surya accusing an "entire ecosystem" of trying to defame and destabilise the institution.
"Why did the CM show so much urgency? Would he have shown similar urgency to constitute an SIT if certain allegations of this nature were made against a non-Hindu institution? Over the last couple of days we are told that instructions to constitute the SIT specifically came from a few Delhi leaders... The CM must tell who these Delhi leaders were... No preliminary enquiry about the identity and credentials of this masked man were done. He claims he is a sanitation worker. People and organisations tried to raise funds for him and an entire ecosystem came out in support of him. Court cases were fought by engaging senior lawyers who charged hefty sums for each hearing. Who funded, orchestrated, and handled this entire conspiracy?" said Surya.
In a post on X, Surya alleged that the case was based on "absurd" claims made by an unnamed masked man and questioned why the state rushed to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) without a preliminary inquiry. He also suggested that the state government's actions hinted at a "larger conspiracy."
https://x.com/Tejasvi_Surya/status/1959829706406330792
The first question Surya asked was about the rationale behind forming the SIT, claiming the allegations were "absurd on the face of it." He accused the government of ignoring senior police officers' advice for a preliminary inquiry. "Did you fail to see they were baseless, or were you complicit in a larger conspiracy?" he wrote. He also asked whether the same urgency would have been shown if the allegations were against a non-Hindu institution.
The second question the BJP MP asked was on Delhi's role. He alleged that the SIT was formed under "instructions from Delhi," demanding Siddaramaiah reveal who pressured the government. "Will you name those in Delhi who dictated this move, or keep hiding their role?" he asked.
The third question Surya asked was on funding and handlers. Calling the case a "coordinated fake news campaign," Surya accused specific YouTube channels, portals, and even the BBC of running disinformation. He questioned who funded senior lawyers engaged for the case and why the state had not probed the alleged handlers behind the campaign. "Who funded this drama, who wrote the script, and why has your government not probed them?" he added.
The fourth question he asked was on the CBI probe. Surya demanded the case be handed over to the CBI, claiming the conspiracy involved actors beyond Karnataka's jurisdiction. "Will you show the same urgency for a fair investigation as you did in hurriedly constituting the SIT?" he asked. He accused the state of fearing what a central probe might reveal.
The fifth question the BJP MP asked was on the larger agenda. In his final question, Surya alleged that the Dharmasthala controversy was part of a broader political strategy to weaken Hindu society and accused the Congress of divisive politics. He also linked the issue to legislation like the "anti-communal task force" and the Rohith Vemula Bill. "Does this defame the Dharmasthala campaign have Rahul Gandhi's blessings?" Surya questioned.
Meanwhile, the Belthangady Court on Saturday sent the complainant in the Dharmasthala case to 10 days of Special Investigation Team (SIT) custody.
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara told reporters that police are investigating to unearthen the network behind the case and confirmed the arrest of the complainant.
"It is true that he (the complainant) has been arrested, he is in police custody, cannot give any information as the investigation is ongoing. Officers will continue the investigation, and I will get more information from the SIT. I cannot give more information until the investigation is completed. What network is behind this will be found..."
Meanwhile, former Karnataka Chief Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday demanded a probe into the Dharmasthala case by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
"In the Dharmasthala case, the state government must hand over the investigation to the NIA to reveal who is behind the conspiracy and those named by Chinnayya must be arrested and interrogated; otherwise, people may conclude that the state government itself is part of the conspiracy. To avoid this, the investigation must be handed over to the NIA," Bommai posted on X.