Dharmasthala murders: Centre will have to look into foreign funding charges, says K'taka Minister

Bengaluru, Sep 4 Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara stated on Thursday that allegations regarding foreign funding in the mass grave case would have to be examined by the Central government.

His statement has gained significance amid strong demands by the BJP, JD(S), and Hindu organisations to hand over the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has already been gathering information regarding foreign funding and tracking the bank accounts of activists involved against the temple authorities, according to sources.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Parameshwara said, "Whenever allegations of foreign funding arise, they must be looked into by the Centre. The state government cannot probe such matters. The Special Investigation Team (SIT) is investigating the burying of dead bodies in Dharmasthala. If there are any lacunae, we can consider other actions."

"Before the NIA intervenes in the investigation, the move must be justified. However, the state government will not have any role in this regard," he added.

Criticising the Dharmasthala Yatra undertaken by BJP, JD(S) and his own Congress party leaders, Parameshwara said, "God Manjunatha does not belong to any one community. The deity himself ensures that devotees can visit whenever they wish. Anyone can visit Dharmasthala and take darshan. There is no objection to that. But why have a series of campaigns been launched only after the Dharmasthala case came to the forefront? I cannot understand whether they are trying to cleanse Dharmasthala’s image or their own."

He added, "BJP and JD(S) leaders had undertaken the yatra earlier. Now, why are Congress leaders conducting the Dharmasthala yatra? Why didn’t they do it earlier? Naturally, this seems political. Congress leaders have taken up the yatra because the BJP did it first."

"Who knows what their prayers were before the deity?" he maintained.

On the Soujanya rape and murder case investigation, Parameshwara said, "I do not know on what basis the SIT is probing the case. I do not know what information they have gathered. They may have tracked more facts. They might have received a tip, and one of the accused, Uday Jain, may have been called by the SIT."

He further clarified, "Though the terms of reference for the SIT in the Dharmasthala case do not include the Soujanya case, there might be links, and these must be probed. Otherwise, the investigation will not be complete. Someone might have provided a cross-reference. I am not saying this is a re-investigation of the Soujanya case."

Commenting on Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's appeal to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to hand over the Dharmasthala case to the NIA, he said, "He may have requested it. Initially, they disapproved of the SIT and are now demanding an NIA probe. The investigation will remain the same."

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