Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Sep 3: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a preliminary probe into allegations of suspicious foreign funding used to inflame communal tensions surrounding the ongoing Dharmasthala controversy, sources confirmed on Tuesday.
The investigation, being conducted under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), is focusing on documents and transactions of individuals and entities—including NGOs—accused of using foreign funds to fan discord over the temple town in Dakshina Kannada district. Officials noted that further action would follow if violations of foreign funding norms or misuse of funds are established.
The probe comes amid rising political tensions after the Karnataka BJP organised a "Dharmasthala Chalo" rally on Monday. The party demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into what it described as a "conspiracy and smear campaign" against Dharmasthala, and blamed the Congress government for failing to handle the matter effectively.
The row ignited when Chinnaiah, a former sanitation worker at Dharmasthala, alleged that he was coerced into burying multiple bodies, including those of women and minors purportedly displaying signs of sexual assault, during his employment from 1995 to 2014. His claims appeared to implicate temple administrators, but Chinnaiah was later arrested and charged with perjury.
The state government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations. Based on Chinnaiah’s lead, the team excavated several sites along the Netravathi River, unearthing skeletal remains at two locations, which further intensified public interest and scrutiny.
In a sharp counter, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday accused two activists currently under investigation—Girish Mattannavar and Mahesh Shetty Thimarody—of being aligned with the RSS and BJP. Both activists face separate police cases for alleged dissemination of incendiary videos on social media, which were said to have disturbed communal harmony and offended public sensibilities.
The entanglement of federal agencies such as the ED with a highly charged communal row signals a significant escalation. As legal scrutiny and political blame games intensify, the Dharmasthala controversy seems set to remain a flashpoint.