RSS ideologue Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, who led a rally by the Hindu Jagarana Vedike against the proposed Jesus Christ statue at Kapalabetta on Monday, said they would not rest till they build a Muneeshwara temple on the hillock.
Addressing a gathering at Kanakapura town, about 18 km from the hillock, he said they would not “let another Hindu site to be Christianised.”
Mr. Bhat claimed that Kapalabetta was earlier known as Muneeshwara Betta where saints of Natha Parampara performed penance. This was echoed by pamphlets distributed by the HJV, an RSS-affiliated organisation. However, villagers said that Kapalabetta and Muneeshwara Betta are two different hillocks.
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Launching an attack on Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar for his support to installing the Jesus Christ statue, Mr. Bhat called him an “anti-national.” Bringing into play the recently enacted Citizenship (Amendment) Act, he said, “Hindus have only one country, which is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought in CAA. Let them [Christians] build Jesus Christ statue in America or England. Building one here amounts to anti-national activity,” he said.
He, however, said they were not opposed to Jesus Christ or Allah. “But we are opposed to cheating people in the name of Jesus Christ for conversion. It is this we are opposed to,” he said.
K.T. Ullas, general secretary, HJV South Karnataka, listed out a charter of demands at the rally that included cancellation of allotment of land to instal the statue and bring an anti-conversion Bill. He also set a deadline of January 25 for the State government to cancel the allotment of land and said HJV would launch a State-wide campaign if it failed to do so.
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