Activists involved in Dharmasthala row are from RSS-BJP, alleges Minister Priyank Kharge

Bengaluru: Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday alleged that the two activists Girish Mattannavar and Mahesh Shetty Thimarody were associated with the RSS and BJP.

The two people are accused of being the brains behind the Dharmasthala row involving large-scale excavation following complaints of the burial of many young women and girl students, sources said.

Two separate cases have been registered against Mattannavar and Thimarody for allegedly creating and circulating videos on social media, that disturbed communal harmony and offended public sentiments, police said on Tuesday.

Kharge, who holds the Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister portfolio, told reporters that Thimarody is from RSS.

"Against whom did they (BJP) speak inside the Karnataka Assembly? Wasn’t that Mahesh Shetty Thimarody? This person is from RSS. The RSS is BJP’s Guru. These people grew up in RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal," Kharge said.

Regarding Mattennavar, the Minister said, "He is Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (district) president. He was the BJP’s official candidate from Gurmitkal assembly segment in Yadgir district. He was issued BJP B-Form. Today, they (Thimarody and Mattennavar) are speaking against them (Dharmasthala). So whose conspiracy is this?" According to Kharge, who is Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s son, the Dharmasthala row is an outcome of factional feud in the RSS.

"This is RSS versus RSS/ Now they are trying to tarnish the government. BJP is clueless which RSS faction it should approach. There are two factions in the RSS. They (BJP) don’t know whose feet they should hold to save their position," Kharge alleged.

He charged that the BJP is organising campaigns like ‘Chamundeshwari Chalo’ and ‘Dharmasthala Chalo’ to save their position.

Asking the BJP leaders not to limit themselves to ‘Chamundeshwari Chalo’ and ‘Dharmasthala Chalo’, Kharge advised them to take up ‘Delhi Chalo’ once in a while to raise their voice in favour of Kannadigas against the injustice meted out by the Centre to Karnataka.

He charged that the BJP was doing these marches only for the sake of saving their political existence.

"This is all their (BJP) theatrics. They just jump in to grab an opportunity wherever they find a chance to get political mileage," the Minister said.

He underlined that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) is doing whatever is necessary scientifically.

Regarding the ‘Chamundeshwari Chalo’ programme, which BJP is learnt to be organising, the Minister sought to know what was wrong if Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq inaugurates Dasara celebrations.

He stated that noted Kannada litterateur Nisar Ahmed had also inaugurated it.

Kharge charged that it was the BJP which invited former President late A P J Abdul Kalam but he could not come.

He wondered whether the BJP had invited Kalam for being a Muslim or because of his abilities and contributions to the nation, society and state.

The Minister alleged that the BJP is organising these marches "to save their political future and to please their RSS bosses".