The Hindu

Udupi, Jan 6: Secretary of the Sri Sugunendra Tirtha Bhakta Vrinda B. Gopalachar said on Saturday that the vrinda would file a defamation suit against C.H. Nagaraj Rao and Harish Bhat for making, what they termed as “false charges against Puttige Math seer”.

Gopalachar told presspersons here that Nagaraj Rao and Harish Bhat had charged the Puttige seer from a different foothold. Their contention was the result of the efforts of late Vidyamanya Tirtha Swamiji of Palimar Math, which had been accepted by four maths. The charges were “an insult to the four maths”, they said.

“These two persons have no right to speak on the ascension to ‘Paryaya Peetha’ as the seers of Ashta Maths have declared that they will resolve the issue among themselves,” the secretary of the vrinda said.

Since these matters had got reported in the media, devotees had become anxious and were calling the Puttige Math.

‘No fear’

“The devotees should have no fear on this account. The Paryaya of Sri Sugunendra Tirtha Swamiji will take place successfully. We have a battery of advocates with us. We will file defamation suit on January 7 or 8,” Mr. Gopalachar said. Vrinda president Santosh Shetty and secretary Vishnu Prasad were present.

It may be recalled that C.H. Nagaraj Rao and Harish Bhat had filed a petition before the Additional Civil Judge (Junior Division) here on January 3, urging the court not to allow Sri Sugunendra Tirtha Swamiji of Puttige Math to ascend Paryaya Peetha and sought an injunction on him worshipping Krishna at the Sri Krishna Temple.