Bengaluru
A fresh controversy has erupted as court summons have been issued in connection with a 2017 case related to the vandalisation of tombs at Baba Budangiri or Datta Peetha, with the Bharatiya Janata Party asserting that their supporters are being unfairly targeted.
The First Additional Civil Judge and JMFC, Chikkamagaluru issued summons to all accused for their first appearance on January 8. Notices have been sent to 14 Hindutva activists under the Prevention of Damages to Public Property Act for their alleged involvement in the demolition of tombs at the disputed site in Chikkamagaluru.
BJP leaders and Hindutva groups have been demanding that the cave shrine atop Baba Budangiri, near Chikkamagaluru, be declared a Hindu place of worship.
The case, initiated in 2017, saw a request for a hearing made on March 19, 2020. The government granted permission on September 7, 2023. Subsequently, on October 24, 2023, a charge sheet against the accused was submitted to the court. As part of the ongoing legal process, the court has now issued summons for the accused to appear on January 8.
Reacting to the notices, BJP leader CT Ravi accused the Congress government in Karnataka of targeting Hindutva workers. Ravi said, “Whether it is issuing notices to kar sevaks in Chikmmangaluru or this, it is part of a criminal and communal agenda of the Congress party. We are not scared of being sent to prison or the cases they file. We will respond to them.”
{{/usCountry}}Reacting to the notices, BJP leader CT Ravi accused the Congress government in Karnataka of targeting Hindutva workers. Ravi said, “Whether it is issuing notices to kar sevaks in Chikmmangaluru or this, it is part of a criminal and communal agenda of the Congress party. We are not scared of being sent to prison or the cases they file. We will respond to them.”
{{/usCountry}}In response, chief minister Siddaramaiah dismissed the claims, stating that the allegation of the government reopening the Datta Peetha issue at Baba Budanagiri in Chikkamagaluru is “totally false and baseless.” Siddaramaiah asserted that the court’s issuance of summons is a routine part of the legal process and does not signify a reopening of the case.
In a statement, the chief minister said that BJP is peddling fake news and denied that the destruction of the Baba Budanagiri tomb case is being reopened by the Congress government.
Siddaramaiah said the Bababudanagiri tomb destruction case was registered in 2017 and the issuance of summons to the accused by the courts is part of the legal process. “The court has issued a summons to the accused to appear before it on January 8 and this is part of the legal process. The issuance of summons by the court to the accused to appear before it following the filing of the charge sheet is part of the normal legal process. The Congress government has not reopened the case as claimed by some BJP leaders,” he said.
Baba Budangiri, often referred to as south India’s Ayodhya, has long been a pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Muslims. Hindus believe the hill is the final resting place of Lord Dattatreya, while the Muslim community considers the dargah as one of the earliest centres of Sufism in South India. However, over the years, the BJP, Bajrang Dal, VHP, and other saffron outfits have been advocating for the shrine to be declared a Hindu temple.