Karnataka govt likely to appoint Hindu priests at Datta Peeta

CHIKKAMAGALURU: Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai indicated that the government is in the process of appointing a Hindu priest to conduct pujas at the disputed Dattatreya Peeta in Bababudangiri, Chikkamagaluru.
Addressing a gathering at BJP’s ‘Jan Sankalpa Yatre’ at Koppa, Chikkamagaluru district, on Sunday, Bommai said the long pending demand to perform puja at the Datta Peeta would soon be a reality.
“The people of the region, under the leadership of CT Ravi, Chikkamagaluru MLA and BJP national general secretary, have waged a legal battle for the cause. As a result, good days are here and the issue will be resolved in a few days,” he said. Bommai also promised to build a ropeway between Mullayanagiri and the Datta Peeta. Earlier, Ravi said BJP has always fulfiled its promises when it came to Hindutva and nationalist issues. “We promised withdrawal of article 370 for Jammu & Kashmir and we delivered. We fulfiled our promise on Ram Mandir. Now, we will commit ourselves to ensuring Hindus have their own priests performing puja on Datta Jayanthi at the DattaPeeta,” said Ravi.
In fact, even before Bommai could comment on the issue, Ravi announced that the BJP government will appoint Hindu priests to perform puja.
A Dattatreya temple and dargah are located atop Bababudangiri which has led to fights between Hindus and Muslims over worshippingrights for years now. In 2018, the Congress government appointed a Muslim cleric to conduct rituals at the disputed site which the Sri Guru Dattatreya Peeta Devasthana challenged in the Karnataka High Court. The court ordered the government to submit a report. Ravi criticised opposition leader Siddaramaiah and called him ‘Siddaramulla Khan’. He said the former chief minister would finish Hindus if Congress forms the government.
Local rivalry to the fore
The Janasankalpa yatre also saw personal rivalry between DN Jeevaraj, former Sringeri BJP MLA, and incumbent Congress legislator TD Rajegowda come to the fore
Jeevaraj attacked Rajegowda and questioned the source of income to procure a 265-acre coffee estate in Chik
kamagaluru. Rajegowda’s family had obtained a Rs 200 crore loan but the amount was repaid. Jeevaraj claimed that as per an affidavit submitted by Rajegowda, his income was Rs 35 lakh per annum. He wondered how the MLA had cleared a Rs 200 crore loan.
BJP patron and former chief minister BS Yediyurappa also urged the CM to order a comprehensive investigation over a Lokayukta complaint against Rajegowda.
Memorial for Vishnuvardhan
Earlier, Bommai visited the home of late cine star Vishnuvardhan in Bengaluru and said a memorial in the name of the veteran actor will be inaugurated in Mysuru next month. “The memorial and a museum in his honour are almost ready for inauguration and we intend to do so at a gala event in December,” he said.