KARNATAKA: Reacting to the visit of a delegation of eight religious seers to the office of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Jain monk Gunadhar Nandi Maharaj has said that the Union Minister had assured the delegation of action against the conspirators in the alleged Dharmasthala murder cases located in Karnataka's Mangaluru after convening a meeting on September 8.
Speaking to IANS on Thursday, Gunadhar Nandi Maharaj said, "Union Home Minister Amit Shah told the delegation comprising of seven sadhus and one of our mathadheesh, that he is closely monitoring developments regarding the alleged Dharmasthala murder cases and that he is also convening a special meeting on September 8 in this regard. Amit Shah assured us that directions would be issued to initiate action against the conspirators afterwards."
"A delegation of eight seers had gone to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's residence in Delhi and spoke with him for about 45 minutes, discussing the Dharmasthala issue. The delegation highlighted the propaganda and high-handedness of various forces against Hindu and Jain religions. We also discussed the injustice, conspiracy, and allegations in the Dharmasthala case, " the Jain monk added.
"Union Minister Amit Shah, with full conviction, assured us of bringing a new legislation against conspiracies aimed at destroying Indian, Jain, and Hindu cultures in the coming days. We had requested this, and he assured us that a new law would be introduced to prevent attacks and conspiracies on religious matters, " he said.
The Jain monk added, "At present, there is no control over social media, and it lacks an accountability mechanism like the electronic media. Union Minister Amit Shah assured us that if anyone spreads falsehoods, a law would be brought to ensure the removal of such content within 24 hours."
Likewise, Union Minister Amit Shah also spoke about measures to address the murders of sages and conspiracies against them across the country.
"The Dharmasthala matter is a major conspiracy. If there is a big controversy in the country today, it is being engineered around the Dharmasthala case. They claim without evidence that 300 to 400 murders have taken place, " Gunadhar Nandi Maharaj said.
"By making such baseless claims, they have created pressure on people, " he concluded.
A delegation of religious seers under the banner of 'Sanatana Sant Niyog' from Karnataka met Union Home Minister Shah in Delhi and demanded that the alleged Dharmasthala murder cases be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The delegation was led by Vachanananda Swamiji of Veerashaiva Lingayat Panchamasali Peeth in Harihara, along with seven other prominent religious seers.