Dharmasthala mass burial case: BJP demands NIA probe into alleged conspiracy, foreign links

MANGALURU: The Dakshina Kannada unit of the BJP has demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the alleged conspiracy and foreign links in the Dharmasthala mass burial case.Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, BJP district president Sathis Kumpala said the conspiracy and foreign connections must be exposed.“Devotees of Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala are upset over the smear campaign against the shrine. The BJP will submit a memorandum to the state govt and central govt in this regard, seeking an NIA probe into the conspiracy against Dharmasthala,” he said.Kumpala also demanded the arrest of YouTuber Sameer MD in connection with AI-generated video content on the Dharmasthala mass burial case. He alleged the video created by Sameer was part of a conspiracy against the temple. “What would be the consequences if a Hindu made such allegations about a different faith? Hence, the sources of income of Sameer need to be probed,” he said.He further said around 50,000 to one lakh people are expected to take part in the Hindu Samavesha to be held at Dharmasthala on September 1.Mangaluru City North MLA Dr Y Bharath Shetty alleged that false narratives about Hindu religious places were hurting the sentiments of devotees. “Efforts are being made to destabilise the Hindu society by external forces. A probe by the NIA is essential in this direction too. We are not against the ongoing probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in Dharmasthala. The BJP has extended its support to the SIT probe since its beginning,” he said.Social media was flooded with narratives after the SIT began its search in Dharmasthala. Dr Shetty said an NIA investigation was essential to uncover the intentions behind these narratives, adding that the agency should also trace the funding sources of those spreading them.Reiterating the BJP’s stand on justice for Sowjanya, he added: “If needed, the govt may set up an SIT to reinvestigate the case.”