Anti-climax at Dharmasthala

CM, HDK avoid each other; JD(S) leader swears his version of truth

The two bitter political adversaries did not come across each other during their visit to Dharmasthala with Yeddyurappa making a quick visit to the temple in the morning to offer prayers and Kumaraswamy reaching  the temple in the afternoon and affirming his version of truth at the sanctum sanctorum.

While the chief minister’s visit was low profile despite being accompanied by a massive retinue of his cabinet colleagues and followers, Kumaraswamy played to the gallery as he announced to the waiting media pack that he had affirmed his version of truth before the deity.

“This is the truth...the truth...the truth,” stated the last line of Kumaraswamy’s statement which he read out at the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, after stating his case against the chief minister.

Hitting out against the chief minister for going back on the challenge (truth test) he had himself thrown at  him (Kumaraswamy), the JD(S) leader said  that Yeddyurappa had “not only run away from his promises, but also set a bad precedent by violating traditions of the temple.”

Earlier, defending his decision to avoid the ‘truth test’, Yeddyurappa said he did not take the test following the advice by many seers including Pejawar seer, Suttur seer, Tharalabalu mutt, Siddagangamutt, Jangama mutt and BJP national president Nitin Gadkari.

 Kumaraswamy said: “Whatever charges Yeddyurappa has made against me, in reality, are against himself and not me. Yeddyurappa himself has revealed it in the advertisement (released by the chief minister) that Kumaraswamy is not cheat or the one who went back on his promise.”

The former chief minister said he wanted to have the darshan of Lord by waiting in the queue along with other devotees.

“I had to change the plans as per (shrine head) Dr Veerendra Heggade’s direction,” he said. Though H D Kumaraswamy was scheduled to arrive at 10 am, he along with JD(S) MLAs and supporters reached the temple only at 12:20 pm and they walked straight to the temple.

After spending about 20 minutes in the temple, he addressed the media persons on the street in the pouring rain.

On the other hand, Yeddyurappa, who arrived from the guest house in a tourist bus with his Cabinet colleagues, more than a dozen MLAs and MLCs at around 9:10 am, walked straight to the temple and offered prayers to the deity, but did not submit to a test of truth.

After spending about 25 minutes in the temple, B S Yeddyurappa addressed media persons on the street in front of the temple in the lashing rain and read out from a prepared text.

Yeddyurappa said he only had darshan of Lord Manjunatha and offered prayers for the welfare of the State.

“I along with my cabinet colleagues would concentrate on making the State a model for the nation over the next two years,” he said.

He refused to take any questions from media persons and left the venue by bus.

Devotees vent ire

As soon as Yeddyurappa and his team arrived at temple premises, a group of ‘devotees’ started shouting slogans against the chief minister  for dragging politics into religious place.

Immediately, a few Raitha Sangha members joined the group and continued to shout slogans against the chief minister.

Seconds later, another group started shouting slogans in favour of Yeddyurappa. The police intervened and restored calm.

Just like the ‘devotees’ who shouted slogans when the chief minister visited the temple, another group of ‘devotees’ shouted slogans in favour of Kumaraswamy and against Yeddyurappa, when Kumaraswamy visited the temple. Most of the ‘devotees’ were from either Ramnagar or Bangalore.