The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) said on Tuesday that there is a larger conspiracy behind, what it called, the ‘smear campaign’ against Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara temple and the Union government should uncover the conspiracy by ordering probes by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
On the other hand, the BJP too pressed for the NIA probe stating that there is a conspiracy to defame the temple and its administrators using the ongoing probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the alleged Dharmasthala burials.
In a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister through the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, H.K. Purushottama, president, Dakshina Kannada unit of the VHP, claimed that destabilising the faith and trust of devotees over the temple and defaming the temple at the international level are parts of the conspiracy.
The Union government should intervene to expose the “forces” behind the conspiracy, the VHP said.
Mr. Purushottama claimed that lakhs of rupees have been spent to create AI generated videos for slandering the temple. Such videos have been posted on social media, he said.
BJP seeks arrest of YouTuber
Meanwhile, addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, Satish Kumpala, president, Dakshina Kannada unit of the BJP, said that the party in addition to pressing for the NIA probe is also demanding the arrest of YouTuber M.D. Sameer in connection with the three cases registered against him by the Dakshina Kannada police. One of the cases related to producing and sharing a fictional video about the alleged mass burials and creating unrest in society.
Mr. Kumpala said that the way the government was handling the cases against Mr. Sameer indicated that it was going soft against the YouTuber.
He said that between 50,000 and 1 lakh BJP workers will gather in Dharmasthala on September 1 to oppose the targeting of the Dharmasthala temple in the name of SIT probe.
Y. Bharat Shetty, Mangaluru City North MLA, said that a narrative is being created on social media against Hindu religious places of worship by some vested interests.
Premananda Shetty, general secretary of the district unit of the party and former Mayor of Mangaluru, was present.
