From temple town to battleground
Strap: What began as a law-and-order probe has spiralled into a political contest over faith, identity & power
Blurb:
Dharmasthala has ceased to be just a temple town. It now symbolises the clash of faith and politics, where Congress struggles to uphold justice without offending belief, and BJP sharpens its Hindu unity pitch to reclaim lost ground
Byline: Ashwin K
By any measure, the Dharmasthala controversy has moved beyond the question of women’s safety. It has now become a matter of faith, and in Karnataka’s fraught political climate, faith is rarely left untouched by politics.
At the heart of the storm is BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra’s fiery charge, “Whenever Siddaramaiah is in power, attacks on Hindu temples rise.” At the Dharmasthala Chalo rally, Vijayendra did not merely target the chief minister. His words carried a dual edge — an attack on the government and a rallying cry for Hindu unity, a card the BJP has never been shy to play.
Other leaders quickly joined the chorus. Union minister Prahlad Joshi invoked the shadow of Sabarimala, calling it a “calculated conspiracy to desecrate sacred Hindu spaces.” Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka added that the issue was about protecting Hindu temples from “systematic attack,” while Jagadish Shettar went further, predicting the “countdown” to the fall of Siddaramaiah’s government.
In effect, the BJP has seized on Dharmasthala to pitch itself as the guardian of faith, while simultaneously painting the Congress as an administration that fumbles with both justice and belief.
SIT or politics?
The government’s decision to hand the probe to the Special Investigation Team has only added fuel to the fire. The BJP insists nothing short of an NIA or CBI inquiry will suffice. Vijayendra has accused YouTubers of maligning the temple’s image, suggesting Congress’ inaction allowed this to spiral. Joshi even questioned why the government had not first verified the origins of the mysterious skull presented in court.
The chorus of criticism paints Siddaramaiah as both careless and complicit — a narrative the BJP is keen to cement.
Congress on back foot
For its part, Congress has chosen a cautious stance. The SIT’s work, however, has already produced dramatic turns. The so-called “masked man,” who first sparked the controversy, has been arrested for lying under interrogation. A woman who earlier claimed her daughter was missing has since retracted her statement.
These developments should have given the ruling party some relief, but the political damage is harder to undo. Once faith is invoked, facts seldom settle the matter.
The Litmus Test
The Dharmasthala episode now looms as a litmus test for both parties. For Congress, it is about delivering justice without alienating religious sensitivities — a task that requires fine balance. For the BJP, it is an opportunity to sharpen its Hindu unity pitch, keeping faith at the forefront of its politics.
In truth, the incident has already blurred the line between devotion and politics. The temple is no longer just a place of worship — it has been turned into a stage where Karnataka’s political rivals play out their oldest contest: who owns the mantle of Hindu pride?
As the rhetoric escalates, one question lingers – will justice prevail, or will faith once again be weaponised for votes?
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
HL: Dharmasthala bones row deepens
OB Bureau
The investigation into the Dharmasthala case took another twist midweek after Vittal Gowda, uncle of the late Sowjanya, claimed that multiple human remains were found during a Special Investigation Team (SIT) spot mahazar at Banglegudde. Sowjanya, a college student, was raped and murdered in 2012, and her case remains a rallying point for activists.
Gowda said that during two spot inspections at Banglegudde with SIT officers, he saw skeletal remains belonging to several individuals. He alleged that at the first spot, bones of at least three persons were visible within a short distance, while at a second location, he saw remains of five individuals, possibly including a child. He further stated that black magic items such as a small kalasha were also present at the site, and that bones were protruding from the soil.
According to him, although he drew the officers’ attention to the remains, they were not seized. He maintained that he was willing to face questioning if summoned by the SIT.
An SIT officer, however, dismissed the claim, saying no remains had been recovered during the mahazar. Officials explained that the inspections were carried out after Gowda earlier admitted to picking up the skull that was later submitted in court by a complainant.
The first mahazar, they said, was conducted at the spot where the skull was allegedly found, while the second was held at the place where Gowda claimed he had hidden it. According to the SIT, the video circulating online pertained to the second location.
Despite this, Gowda reiterated that his statements were true and said the SIT had its own video evidence of the remains.
The SIT has widened its inquiry, summoning activists Girish Mattannavar, Jayant T and Gowda for questioning. Sources indicated that Gowda told investigators he had been instructed by Mattannavar to pick up the skull. Meanwhile, campaign activist Mahesh Shetty Thimarody lodged a complaint at the SIT office regarding the Unnatural Death Register case linked to the Dharmasthala region, claiming to have submitted key material connected to suspicious deaths.
Earlier in the week, six people, including three Kerala-based YouTubers, were questioned by the SIT. Officials said they were verifying the content produced by them and the sources of their claims.
The SIT’s probe began after skeletal remains were discovered in Dharmasthala, sparking widespread speculation. The case escalated after complainant C.N. Chinnaiah alleged mass burials and sexual assaults, but he was later arrested on perjury charges. Investigators have maintained that questioning remains at a preliminary stage and further action will depend on evidence gathered.