The Balehosur Dalit Dourjanya Virodhi Okkoota has urged the Chief Minister to take steps against the accused in the case related to the group clash at Balehosur village in Shirahatti taluk of Gadag district, in which a Dalit was killed. The samiti criticised the delay in arresting Sri Dingaleshwar Swami who has been named as the main accused.
Conveners of the okkuta, Basavaraj Sulebhavi, L. Narayanaswamy, Ramachandra Hamsanur, Sunanda Kadame and Ananth Kattimani told presspersons here on Tuesday that the clash, which took the life of Mahanthappa Hanumanthappa Gudageri, was the result of police failure.
Mr. Sulebhavi said that instead of taking steps against those who attacked members of the Ghantichor community, the police were targeting them. He alleged that the attack was carried out at the behest of Sri Dingaleshwari Swami.
“The seer of Balehosur Mutt, Sri Dingaleshwar Swami alias Bommalingaiah Viraiah Hiremath, is unfit to head the mutt, which propagates the ideals and ideas of Basavanna. There are several cases against the swami who is using the façade of religion to protect himself.
In fact, his continuation as the seer of the mutt is a disgrace to all Lingayats, who believe in equality,” Mr. Sulebhavi said.
He said there was an undeclared social boycott on the community members in the village because they chose to raise their voice against the atrocities of the swami.
Mr. Sulebhavi urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to handover the case to an independent judicial commission and take action against the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police of Gadag district holding them responsible for the atrocities against Dalits.
The okkoota would also demand action against district-in-charge minister H.K. Patil who had not visited the village to console the family of Gudageri, he added.
Mr. Kattimani, a lawyer, whose family members have been named as accused in a counter complaint filed later, said his family members were forced to go out of the village as the police were behaving like agents of the attackers.
Balehosur Dalit Dourjanya Virodhi Okkoota says there is an undeclared social boycott on the Ghantichor community in Balehosur
