DAVANGERE: Chaos and pandemonium prevailed at the Panchamasali Mutt in Hanagavadi, Harihar taluk of Davanagere district, on Monday, as two rival factions — one backing the expelled seer Vachanananda Swamy and the other supporting the trust — exchanged harsh words.
During the ‘Lekka Kodi’ programme organised on the mutt premises, members of both groups not only traded accusations but even went so far as to exchange blows. The timely intervention of the police prevented the situation from escalating further. Meanwhile, the trustees led by chief trustee BS Umapathi, released the mutt’s accounts from 2008 up to the present, along with bank details.
The trustees of Harihar Panchamasali Mutt held an account-submission programme, during which the tense drama unfolded between the two groups. Before proceeding to the accounting programme, the trustees visited the spot where the statue of Mahanta Swamiji is installed and offered garlands to the former swamiji. At that time, a group of devotees aligned with Swamy raised slogans against the trustees. Unable to tolerate this, the faction supporting the trustees retaliated with slogans against Swamy as well, alleging that Vachanananda Swamy had spread resentment and bitterness among the community members.
Later, a scuffle broke out between the two groups. During the incident, Vachanananda Swamy remained seated silently and watched the proceedings. While the Swamy-aligned group shouted slogans accusing the trustees of theft, the trustees’ faction responded by alleging that Swamy himself was a thief. Police once again stepped in to separate the groups and bring the situation under control.
Former Ranebennur MLA Arun Kumar Poojar, who was present at the venue, witnessed the developments. Trustees BC Umapathi, HS Nagaraj (brother of former Harihar MLA HS Shivashankar), Chandrashekhar Poojar, Bhavi Bettappa and others were also present.
Lekka Kodi programme
The trustees proceeded towards the programme without uttering a word. As a precautionary measure, stringent police security was deployed. The trustees also furnished details of accounts right from the day they assumed office in 2008 up to the present, along with the bank account information.
Umapathi stated that the trust had now submitted accounts down to the paisa, and it was now Vachanananda Swamy’s turn to account for the money collected from the public for ‘Hara Jatre’ and seek the acceptance of devotees. He also alleged large-scale misappropriation of funds by Swamy within the mutt.