Siddaramaiah behind conspiracy to defame Dharmasthala: BJP leader R Ashoka

R Ashoka further claimed that "a gang of Urban Naxals with Leftist ideology" is responsible for spreading false narratives against the temple.

Amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the investigation into the Saujanya case and the reputation of Dharmasthala, Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka has launched a strong attack on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, accusing him of enabling a campaign to malign the religious shrine.

Karnataka leader of opposition R Ashoka.

Speaking to reporters in Hubballi on Sunday, Ashoka alleged that the Chief Minister is “behind the conspiracy to defame Dharmasthala.” He further claimed that "a gang of Urban Naxals with Leftist ideology" is responsible for spreading false narratives against the temple, The Hindu reported.

“A gang of Urban Naxals with Leftist ideology is spreading slander against the holy place. I think of them as the ‘Dandupalya gang’ of dangerous Urban Naxals. The Chief Minister is responsible for letting loose such people among the citizens. Before he came to power, they were wandering for food in the jungles of Karnataka. Now, they are everywhere. They are spreading ill-will against Hindus and holy places like Dharmasthala,” he said.

He added that the core concern is not individuals but the sanctity of the temple itself. “Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade’s reputation is not the issue. For us, Dharmasthala Manjunath Swamy is important. It is already clear that the Congress government is behind the whole episode. We will fight this issue in the Assembly session,” he said.