A day after his ‘truth test’ at the Chamundeshwari Temple atop Chamundi Hills over bribery charges against former Minister A.H. Vishwanath fizzled out, former Minister and JD(S) leader S.R. Mahesh returned to the hill shrine on Friday and offered prayers, regretting misusing the religious abode to settle political scores.
Admitting that it was a mistake to use the place of worship for settling his differences with Mr. Vishwanath, Mr. Mahesh said he offered prayers at the shrine on Friday for peace of mind. Mr. Mahesh said he was forced to take refuge in god after justice eluded him. “But, it was wrong to make Goddess Chamundeshwari witness to our personal issues,” he said.
The two leaders were involved in a bitter war of words ever since Mr. Vishwanath resigned from the Assembly, facilitating the collapse of H.D. Kumaraswamy-led coalition government.
Mr. Mahesh had accused Mr. Vishwanath of switching sides in return for monetary inducements, but the latter had rejected the charges. While Mr. Mahesh dared Mr. Vishwanath to take a ‘truth test’ before Goddess Chamundeshwari, Mr. Vishwanath dared Mr. Mahesh to bring to the temple his ‘buyer’.
Though both the political leaders turned up at the hill shrine on Thursday, they returned without coming face to face.
Mr. Mahesh said he had already forgotten about his row with Mr. Vishwanath but the latter himself called him to the temple and he was forced to come.
