Dharmasthala: a political nexus exposed

 

Time to tell the truth

The fight over Dharmasthala has taken a new and serious turn. What started as citizen groups questioning the crimes of the “D gang” has now turned into open charges between the state’s top leaders.

R. Ashok, Leader of the Opposition, and D. K. Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister, have accused each other’s parties of trying to “grab property of the Dharmasthala shrine” by siding with the Republic of Dharmasthala. These are not light words. When two senior leaders of consequence speak like this with responsibility, the people have every right to believe they know what they are talking about, and that they may even have proof. Their words cannot be brushed aside as casual remarks.

If they do have evidence, the public deserves to see it. Which land is in question? Who tried to transfer it? Who in government or opposition gave protection to the accused? How were police cases stopped or slowed down? Which officials looked the other way? These questions must be answered in full. Unless both leaders reveal the details, people will assume that these charges are just political games, used to attack each other while quietly protecting the real culprits.

This is why the matter is so serious. For years, the name of “temple honour” has been used to silence questions about Dharmasthala. Anyone who spoke out was branded as anti-religious or accused of hurting tradition. Behind this shield, crimes and illegal land deals were hidden. We now know that even in the Soujanya murder case, leaders found time to meet the accused but ignored the victim’s family. That alone shows where their loyalties truly lie.

Now, when both the ruling Congress and opposition BJP accuse each other of trying to take over temple property, the picture becomes clear. The fight is not for justice, not for truth, not even for faith. The fight is for control of land, money, and power—interests that cut across party lines.

The only way forward is a full judicial inquiry. Not by the state government or by agencies that can be pressured, but by an independent court-appointed body. It should check every land record, every affidavit, every transaction linked to the shrine, and expose which politicians, officials, and middlemen were involved.

The people of Karnataka deserve nothing less. Temples do not gain honour by hiding crime. They gain it only when truth is faced boldly. If politicians are using faith to cover their own deals, then the mask must come off.