Dharmasthala case: Minister Parameshwara questions need for NIA probe
Bengaluru (PTI): Amid mounting pressure for an NIA probe into the Dharmasthala case, Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Thursday said the state government has already constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and that the Centre has to justify any move to take over the inquiry.
Questioning the rationale behind the demand for an NIA probe, Parameshwara remarked, “... We formed an SIT to probe it. Earlier, they (religious leaders) were saying that the SIT probe itself was not proper. Now they are demanding that the matter be handed over to the NIA. Isn’t that an investigation too?”
He was responding to a query from reporters about Seers meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah and pressing for a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe.
On the issue of foreign funding, he replied, “Naturally, the central government has to probe that aspect as the state government cannot do it.”
Addressing the media, the Minister maintained that SIT was looking into the allegations of multiple murders and burial of bodies in the temple town of Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district.
“If there are any shortcomings in the investigation, then it should be brought to our notice,” Parameshwara said.
Asked whether the state would comply if the NIA formally sought the case, he said, “The NIA will have to justify why it wants to probe it. The state government will not have options if they justify it.”
Commenting on SIT summoning Uday Jain, he said, “I don’t know what information SIT got because they have to gather details related to each matter. The SIT might have summoned him based on the information provided by the informants. Every information cannot be shared unless the investigation is completed.”
Refuting claims of a reinvestigation into the 2012 case of Sowjanya, who was kidnapped, raped and murdered in 2012 in Dharmasthala, Parameshwara said, “I am not going to call it reinvestigation. We will get to know with what objective and link they (SIT) are investigating it. We cannot say at this juncture.”
Asked why the government did not act sooner on intelligence inputs about meetings allegedly held by an NGO after the Soujanya case verdict, Parameshwara responded, “I only deal with policing, law and order, and crime. Intelligence is with the Chief Minister.”
Reacting to political leaders' march to Dharmasthala, he said, “Lord Manjunatha Swamy (the deity of Dharmasthala) doesn’t belong to any individual. He gives a call to everyone. From that point of view there is nothing wrong in going there — whether BJP, JD(S) or Congress go there. There is no hindrance in anyone going to Dharmasthala.”
He added, “We are only questioning why they (BJP) went there after the Dharmasthala issue surfaced. A question emerges as to why didn’t they (BJP) go there earlier. It’s obvious that there is politics behind it.”
Parameshwara further said the Congress rally to Dharmasthala was in response to the BJP.
“Because the BJP went to Dharmasthala, Congress workers too marched there. Hadn’t they (BJP) gone there, Congress workers also wouldn’t have travelled there. That’s how we must think,” he remarked.
A controversy erupted after a complainant, later identified as C N Chinnaiah and arrested on charges of perjury, claimed burying a number of bodies, including those of women with signs of sexual assault, in Dharmasthala over a period of time, with the implications pointing towards the administrators of the local temple.
The BJP had protested against targeting the temple. Veerendra Heggade, the Dharmadhikari or the custodian of the temple too had welcomed the constitution of the SIT.
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BJP accuses Karnataka govt of 'failing' to prevent noise pollution caused by 'azaan'
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Members of the Opposition BJP on Tuesday slammed the Karnataka government for not taking measures to prevent the alleged noise pollution caused by 'azaan', the Islamic call to prayer.
BJP MLC D S Arun raised the issue in the Legislative Council during the question hour, accusing the ruling Congress of "appeasement" by failing to take action against mosques that are violating the Supreme Court's directives.
Karnataka Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment Eshwar Khandre, responding to the question, said, as per the directives of the Supreme Court in sensitive zones, the noise level should not exceed 50 decibels during the day and 40 decibels at night, and in residential areas, 55 decibels during the day and 45 decibels at night.
In commercial areas, the noise should not exceed 65 decibels during the day, 55 at night, and in industrial areas, 75 during the day and at night 70 decibels, he said.
Pointing out that the Karnataka government had issued an order in 2022, assigning responsibility to a committee headed by a DySPs or ACPs for the effective implementation of the rules, the minister said when a complaint is received about noise pollution, the Pollution Control Board will inspect it and provide information about the decibel level to the police to take further action, including filing of criminal cases.
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"Not only during azaan, but also during bhajans held in temples and marriage events, among others, the violations happen. There is a need to spread awareness. The Supreme Court has ordered against bursting firecrackers, but it is being violated. Efforts will be made to implement the rules effectively," he said.
Several BJP MLAs, including Arun, Bharathi Shetty, among others, were not satisfied with the minister's reply. They took strong exception to it.
Arun noted that in the last three years, only 52 cases have been taken, and said there are clear violations by almost all mosques, but no action has been taken. "The decibels have in fact increased under this government. The government is giving protection to them."
Reacting to this, Khandre, calling it a "sensitive matter", said, "It is not right to politicise the issue. The law of this land is equal for everyone."
Hitting back, Arun asked, "Why is the matter sensitive? What is preventing you (the government) from implementing the Supreme Court directives?"
