‘YouTubers offered funds to share content against Dharmasthala’

Mandya: A Mandya-based YouTuber has alleged that a few fellow YouTubers had been offered funds to share content against Dharmasthala.

Sumanth, a native of Thoppanahalli in Maddur taluk, said, “A conspiracy has been hatched against Dharmasthala, and the YouTubers who promote it have been funded. I also received an offer for this kind of promotion, earlier.” “This plan was made two years ago under the guise of protests seeking justice for Soujanya. I figured out the conspiracy and refused the paid-promotion. As soon as a case was filed against Sameer, another YouTuber, some people stood in his support. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe should be conducted against those who are luring the YouTubers,” Sumanth demanded.

Meanwhile, Srirangaptna MLA Ramesh Bandisiddegowda has lauded the steps taken by the Karnataka government regarding the Dharmasthala issue.

“Our state government has done well by forming the SIT. The stigma against Dharmasthala has been cleared and the glory and tradition of the kshetra has been upheld. The investigation has been conducted in such a way that no one can try to taint either Dharmasthala’s Lord Manjunatha or Annappa Swamy again,” Ramesh added.

“If the SIT investigation had not been done, people would have criticised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as a ‘secularist’. They would have also blamed Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, who has good faith in God. There is no substance in the opposition’s demand to hand over this case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA),” the MLA added.