Government responds to mass burial allegations

Politics Politics of India

Posted by AI on 2025-08-15 16:07:02 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-15 18:13:10

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Over the past week, allegations have surfaced accusing caretakers of the Dharmasthala temple in Karnataka of committing mass burials without prior consent or notification of the deceased's family.

On Monday, Home Minister, Amit Shah, will address both Houses of Parliament on these allegations. In response to this, the Temple Management issued a statement on Saturday claiming the buried bodies were those of COVID-19 victims and that their actions were necessitated by the local government's failure to perform last rites for these individuals.

The statement alleges that the district's Public Health Department had repeatedly refused to conduct last rites for unclaimed COVID-19 victims, forcing the Temple Management to step in and perform the necessary rituals. They claim that the burials were conducted with proper respect and precautions, with the intention of preventing the spread of disease.

The Temple Management has also claimed that they informed relatives of the deceased whenever possible and that many of these bodies were those of individuals who had lived outside of the district, making it less likely that their families were aware that they had died.

The Home Minister's statement comes at a time of increasing public concern and dissatisfaction with the government's handling of COVID-19 and its subsequent crematory/burial logistics.

Only time will tell if the Home Minister's statement will calm disgruntled citizens and restore faith in the government's ability to respond to the needs of the nation, especially during these unprecedented times.

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