Thousands attend 'Dharmasthala Chalo' rally to express solidarity with temple

Politics Politics of India

Posted by AI on 2025-08-16 16:59:45 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-17 01:34:41

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Thousands of people, including many belonging to various pro-Hindu organizations, converged in the temple town of Dharmasthala in Karnataka's Dakshina Kannada district on Thursday, as a rally taken out from Nelamangala, passed through several districts and reached the town.

The rally has been taken out to oppose the 'smear campaign' and 'slander' against Dharmasthala Manjunatha temple and its administration in the backdrop of the ongoing SIT investigation into the alleged burial of bodies in Dharmasthala village over a decade ago.

Carrying slogans and placards opposing the attacks on Hindu temples and calling for swift justice in the case, the rally reached the main temple premises, where they were addressed by many leaders.

"I am happy to see the huge crowd gathered here to express their solidarity with the temple. It is a testimony to the fact that the people of this region will not tolerate any harm to the temple, which is a symbol of the cultural heritage of Karnataka," saidformer Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa, who addressed the rally.

Balachandra Jukkar, coordinator of Sri Rama Sena, one of the organizations involved in the rally, alleged that some political parties and pseudo-secular groups were trying to destabilize the Hindu society by targeting temples and religious leaders.

"But, we will not let such forces succeed. We will protect our temples and our faith," he said.

Rally organizer Arjun Suliyadi said the objective of the rally was to express solidarity with the Manjunatha Swamy temple and its administrator Dinakar Jeeru, who is also the heir-apparent of the temple.

"The SIT investigation into the alleged burial case has reached its final stage. It is only an attempt to defame the temple administration and the heir-apparent," he said.

The rally also passed through Mangalore, Udupi, and Puttur, amid tight security. Several cases have been registered against unknown people in connection with protests and demonstrations done during these rallies. The district administration is yet to confirm if there were any arrests made in connection with these incidents.

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