Kuvempu row: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai says he’ll speak to education minister

BENGALURU: Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, on Sunday, said he has taken serious note of Adichunchanagiri Mutt seer Nirmalananda Nath Swamiji’s letter regarding the row over Rashtrakavi Kuvempu, and that he hopes to resolve it soon.
Bommai told reporters on Sunday: “It has come to my knowledge that the pontiff has written a letter regarding the row over Kuvempu. I will discuss the issue with education minister BC Nagesh.” On Saturday, Nirmalananda Nath Swami wrote to the CM demanding action against culprits who had “distorted” ‘Jai Bharatha Jananiya Tanujathe’, the state anthem penned by Kuvempu.
The controversy pertains to a video which Rohith Chakrathirtha, a rightwinger and head of the state’s textbook revision committee, had posted on his social media account years ago, allegedly defaming the song.
The video was widely circulated, especially in the wake of the controversy over the revision of textbooks. Chakrathirtha has been accused of overseeing “saffronisation” of school textbooks and distorting history. In his letter, the seer said defamation of the state anthem is as much a crime
as defamation of the national anthem. He urged the chief minister to initiate action under the cybercrime laws and arrest the guilty