Nikhil Kumaraswamy said that the collective demand of the JD(S) was an investigation by central agencies into the allegations of murders in Dharmasthala.
Published Sep 01, 2025 | 3:03 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 01, 2025 | 3:03 PM
JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy leading the Satya Yatra in Dharmasthala.
Synopsis: The JD(S) in Karnataka held a ‘Satya Yatra’ on Sunday, 31 August, from Hassan to Dharmasthala, led by the party’s youth wing leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy. He clarified that the Dharmasthala Satya Yatra was not a stage for political gains or calculations. JD(S)’ rally preempted BJP’s own Dharmasthala Chalo initiative.
The JD(S) in Karnataka held a ‘Satya Yatra’ on Sunday, 31 August, from Hassan to Dharmasthala, led by the party’s youth wing leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy. He was accompanied by party leaders, legislators and former legislators. Interestingly, this yatra took place on the eve of the Dharmasthala Chalo Yatra organised by the BJP.
Speaking to the media, Nikhil said that the collective demand of the JD(S) was an investigation by central agencies into the allegations of murders in Dharmasthala.
“No evil force can stand before Lord Manjunatha Swamy. For several days, malicious propaganda has been spread against this sacred place. As devotees, we cannot sit at home with folded hands anymore,” said Nikhil, expressing his anger.
He clarified that the Dharmasthala Satya Yatra was not a stage for political gains or calculations. “Devotees of Manjunatha and Annappa Swamy are spread across the country and abroad, in crores. Today, we have come as devotees to surrender ourselves here,” added Nikhil Kumaraswamy.
A Dalit man, formerly employed as a sanitation worker at the Dharmasthala Manjunatha temple, had alleged that between 1995 and 2014, he was forced under death threats to dispose of hundreds of bodies, many showing signs of sexual violence and brutal murders. Following that, several other complaints were also made.
However, he was arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) on charges of making false allegations.
When South First asked a party spokesperson why the rally was done separately and not with its ally, the BJP, he said that Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy instructed the party leaders to organise it immediately, since it was already late. He added that their yatra and the BJP’s yatra were independent of each other.
Shivasundar, a senior journalist and activist in Karnataka, told South First that, by organising the march alone, JD(S) wanted to retain its independent existence.
“They cannot completely merge with the BJP and cannot compete without the BJP either. So to have a better bargain, they should show their strength; otherwise, what will be the terms of the bargain, such as having a Vokkaliga base? Your strength is your bargaining point. It is a show of strength, and also some internal pressures from the party activists, he said.
“They also want to be in good books with Veerendra Heggade. JD(S) will be left alone if they do not hold any rallies now. They also do not want to completely go along with the BJP’s discourse. They want to place themselves favourably with Heggade but also not antagonise the rest, since there is another viewpoint also.”
Earlier, during the ‘Mysuru Chalo’ padayatra from Bengaluru to Mysuru, which aimed to highlight alleged irregularities in the allotment of Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) sites, Kumaraswamy had declared that the JD(S) would not support the BJP. His initial reasoning was the timing of the padayatra, given the ongoing rain and flood damage.
He had also expressed displeasure with the way BJP leaders treated him, specifically targeting former BJP MLA Preetham Gowda from Hassan. Preetham was accused by Kumaraswamy of being the ‘kingpin’ behind the distribution of pen drives containing clips of alleged sexual abuse by his nephew and former Hassan JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
