The Karnataka Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (DSS) took out a drum beating protest procession here on Thursday to urge the State government to dismiss some priests of Sri Cheluvanarayana Swamy temple in Melkote, who were allegedly involved in the ornaments missing/misusing case.
They staged a demonstration at Sri Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar Circle off Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway for a while and later reached the Deputy Commissioner’s office where they staged another protest for sometime.
Priests N. Narasaraja Bhat, Varadaraja Bhat, Ramapriya Bhat, Rangaraja Bhat, Keshav Bhat and Yoganada Bhat are facing charges of dereliction of duty, breach of sanctity of temple and misuse of power by taking away the ornaments gifted by devotees to Sri Cheluvanarayana Swamy temple, they said.
The State government should book a criminal case against these priests and the Muzrai Department should immediately dismiss them from their positions, they demanded.
Srinivas, M.V. Krishna, Santoshkumar, Shivamurthy, Nandish, Shivanna, Hariprasad, Puttaswamy, Kariyappa, Chunchaiah and others were present.