Bengaluru: Hindu Mahasabha Karnataka State Secretary Dharmendra Suratkal on Saturday said that the organisation did not spare Mahatma Gandhi who went against the wishes of the Hindus and neither will we spare the BJP leaders as his activists will appeal to the people not to vote for them in future elections if they continued demolishing temples.
“We did not spare Mahatma Gandhi, and you all – (Basavaraj) Bommai, (BS) Yediyurappa and Shashikala Jolle – are unworthy of any mention. If you try to demolish Hindu temples, you will not be spared. We will go before the people and plead them not to vote for the BJP in the next elections,” he said.
Dharmendra said this in Mangaluru while addressing the media on the demolition of Mahadevamma temple in Mysuru district last week.
He also challenged the government to demolish any one church or a mosque as mentioned in the list submitted to the Supreme Court.
“In the entire history of Karnataka politics, no government has demolished a single church or temple, but they have demolished Hindu temples. Why do the politicians in power only attack Hindu temples. Why not other religious structures? The BJP is playing appeasement politics to woo the Christians and Muslim votes,” he alleged.
The Supreme Court had ordered the demolition of unauthorised illegal religious structures in public places built after September 29, 2009.
In December 2020, the Karnataka High Court also took the state government to task for not clearing the encroachments from public places.
Dharmendra said the temple should be reconstructed from the money of those officials who demolished it.
“The temple should not be rebuilt from temple or government exchequers, but from sales proceeds of properties belonging to those officials who demolished it,” he said.
Dharmendra said temples are not the properties owned by the in-laws of politicians but by the people. He alleged several ministers including Jolle are involved in corruption, which is an irony, because the BJP’s entire politics revolves around corruption-free governance.
“We will also ask people to wage a battle against corrupt BJP leaders,” Dharmendra warned. He also attacked the Sangh parivar for demanding action against the officials, instead of the government.
“I want to ask the Sangh parivar, whose government after all is in rule? It is the BJP’s. Who is responsible for the demolition of the temple? Officials? No. It is the government. Why is there a government in existence? Is it for giving a free hand to demolish temples?” Dharmendra asked.
Earlier, Congress leader Siddaramaiah and JDS leaders including former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy had blamed the BJP for bringing down the temple, not the officials. The matter is expected to be raised in the Assembly by the opposition led by Congress.
Meanwhile, Mangaluru City Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar has filed a complaint against Dharmendra. “Dharmendra Suratkal …has warned the government in the press conference by asking that they not spare Gandhi and Bommai, Yediyurappa and Jolle are unworthy of any mention. I came to know that Dharmendra was a leader of the Hindu Mahasabha, but was expelled by the body two years ago on grounds of objectionable behaviour,” he said.
The complainant is Hindu Mahasabha State President L K Suvarna.
A case has been lodged against Dharmendra for criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, criminal intimidation and other offences.
