Lakshmana Venkat Kuchi, Senior Journalist
@kvlakshman

Karnataka is on the boil with the breaking sordid saga of sexual abuse of minor girls by a religious seer of the politically powerful Lingayat community – Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru – and anger of the people is palpable over an apparent kid glove treatment from the police despite being booked under the POSCO Act.

Civil society activists and women’s rights activists have begun protests in Chitradurga and few other cities even as the police and administration appear to proceeding cautiously against the pontiff of the Chitragurdga Mutt. Why no arrest in the POSCO Act and for allegations of kidnapping, question activists citing that this was a non-bailable offence. They are also questioning the political class, that is more or less silent, and or has come in defence of the seer, given the influence of the religious body in electoral politics.

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Karnataka goes for assembly polls in less than a year, and both the ruling BJP and opposition Congress are treading cautiously in the matter.

This has enraged women rights activists like Brinda Adige. “It is a shameful situation. The politicians are giving conduct certificates to the accused. It is not their job. There should be a CBI investigation as the narrative is now casting aspersions on the children who have made the complaints,” Brinda Adige said.  She also alleged that police instead of arresting him were giving him protection.

Incidentally, it was a BJP councillor H Vishwanath demanded the immediate arrest of the Lingayat seer for his heinous crime and said that he will write to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek his intervention for justice to the unfortunate victims.

Recalling the slogan Beti Bachao, Beti Padao of the Prime Minister, the BJP councillor said that entire Karnataka was watching as to how even after so many hours the seer has not been arrested. The allegations are so serious that the police must act immediately and put him in jail, the BJP leader said on a host of television channels, unmindful of the fact that his own party leaders, the Chief Minister and other ministers were evasive. A local BJP leader CT Ravi refrained from making any comment saying that “when investigations are on, it is not proper to comment.”

In fact, powerful politicians cutting across party lines seem to have come to the aid of the controversial seer as the politically influential mutt pontiff can make or mar the chances in assembly elections, due in less than a year.  Comprising 17 percent of the population, the Lingayat community is very significant and can alter the political fortunes, which is why the political parties are treading cautiously.

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Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai declined to make any comment on the allegations against the seer except saying that cases have been booked against him and police had full freedom to act. The police are investigating the POSCO Act case and one of kidnapping. “It is not right for me to make comments or interpret the case. It is not good for the investigation. The police have full freedom and the probe is underway. Truth will come out,” Bommai said.

Former Chief Minister BS Yeddiyurappa came to the defence of the seer, saying that he was innocent and charges against him were false. Incidentally, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took blessings from the Chitradurga Mutt in what can be construed as his party’s outreach programme aimed at the Lingayat community. Karnataka Congress leader DK Shivakumar described the accused seer as a good man but chose not to make any comment. It was only former Chief Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Kumaraswamy who said that he was not surprised by the charges, which were not new. They should have been dealt with earlier itself.

The Lingayat seer of the Chidradurga Murugha Mutt has meanwhile sought anticipatory bail on Monday, which will be taken up on September 1. The seer himself claimed that the case was nothing but a part of a conspiracy against him and that he would fight the case. There were speculations that he had gone missing fearing arrest. Denying any intention to flee, the seer said “I am among those seers who believe in the law of the land and respect it. I will extend all cooperation. There will not be any escapism.”

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Meanwhile, Chairperson of Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Jayashree Channal met the girls and collected details from them.

(Lakshmana Venkat Kuchi is a senior journalist tracking social, economic, and political issues and takes a keen interest in sports as well. He has worked with prominent news organisations.)

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