BENGALURU: Former CM and Haveri MP Basavaraj Bommai said on Monday that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) should probe the alleged crimes in Dharmasthala in a time-bound manner without targeting anyone.
Addressing reporters here, he said the SIT should investigate who had pressured the complainant. Locals and police personnel, who worked in Dharmasthala for many years, are aware of the significance of the temple there. The probe should be impartial, he added.
Leader of Opposition in the legislative Assembly R Ashoka welcomed the decision to form SIT. He said spreading false information about the temple is wrong. The probe should not aim to falsely implicate anyone, he said. He said if so many bodies were found, the victims’ families would have filed complaints. The government should clarify how many such cases have come to light.
Ashoka said creating a controversy to damage the reputation of a religious place is unacceptable. The alleged crimes have no connection with the Dharmasthala temple administration, he said.
Responding to a question on the developments within the Congress, Bommai said that a major political change is imminent in Karnataka.
The former CM slammed the state’s Commercial Taxes Department for issuing notices to small traders. Issuing notices to small traders has affected their businesses severely, Bommai said.