BENGALURU: The Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru has rejected NICE (Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises) chief Ashok Kheny’s claims that he gifted a gold karadige to late Siddaganga seer Sri Shivakumara Swamiji, terming the statements “far from truth” and “baseless”.
In a clarification issued on September 29, the Mutt said Sri Shivakumara Swamiji had neither received a gold karadige from Kheny nor asked him to get one made. It also denied Kheny’s claim that the seer wore a gold karadige bearing Kheny’s name when he attained lingaikya.
The Mutt said devotees rarely offer gold or silver articles, and whenever such articles are received, they are entered in the Mutt’s inventory register and properly maintained.
It also rejected Kheny’s claim that he visited the Mutt after the seer’s death and asked former KRIDL chairman M Rudresh to check whether the gold karadige was on the seer’s body. The Mutt said Kheny had not visited the Mutt during the final rites or kriya samadhi.
The Mutt further denied Kheny’s reported claim that the gold karadige bearing his name was found on the seer’s body and that his name continued to remain with the seer in the samadhi.
It also rejected Kheny’s reported statement that Sri Shivakumara Swamiji had described him as a person with a “pure heart”, treated him like a son and said he would wear the karadige while going to heaven.
“The Paramapoojya Sri Sri Shivakumara Swamiji had not got any gold casket made from Ashok Kheny and had not made any such request,” the Mutt said.
The clarification was issued by S Vishwanathayya, Administrative Officer of Siddaganga Mutt.
Siddaganga Mutt seer Sri Siddalinga Swamiji on Thursday said it was Hulukunte Somanna, a devotee of the Mutt, who had presented a gold karadige to Sri Shivakumara Swamiji.
“We have no information or record that Kheny gave any such item. None of us is aware of it,” Siddalinga Swamiji told reporters.
“Many years ago, Hulukunte Somanna, a devotee of the Mutt, presented a gold karadige to Parama Poojya Swamiji. The seer wore it till his last days and that karadige is still with us,” he said.
Siddalinga Swamiji said Sri Shivakumara Swamiji had initially declined the offering and suggested that the money be used to construct rooms for students.
“Poojya Sri had said, ‘I don't need all that; instead build two rooms for the students.’ However, Somanna’s family insisted and presented the gold karadige,” he said.
The Mutt had parted with 7.39 acres of land at Sompura, gifted by a devotee, for the NICE project. Siddalinga Swamiji expressed disappointment over the outcome, saying the institution had been left to struggle after parting with the land.
He said the Mutt had expected the land to generate a sustainable source of income to support its Dasoha and other social service activities. He also said Kheny had not delivered the support expected from the project.
His remarks come amid renewed controversy over the BMICP/NICE project, including allegations relating to land acquisition, excess land holdings and toll collection following recent Karnataka High Court orders concerning land acquired for the project.