Karnataka Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka on Thursday pressed the state government to reveal the identity of the masked man who directed police to dig at Dharmasthala in search of alleged mass graves and to hand over the probe to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Raising the issue in the Legislative Assembly, Ashoka criticised the Siddaramaiah government for spending over ₹1 crore on an investigation that, he claimed, has so far yielded no results despite the use of heavy machinery, drones, and modern equipment.
“Who is this man directing the digging? People say his name is Chinnayya and that he has converted to Christianity. The police give him security, feed him biryani, and follow his instructions. But not even a mouse has been found,” Ashoka alleged.
The BJP leader questioned the plausibility of the man’s claims — reportedly that he buried 70–80 bodies at one of 13 sites — pointing out the physical improbability of one person digging 20 feet deep and transporting bodies alone into the forest.
“Even digging six feet is difficult. This sounds like a fairy tale,” he said, suggesting the site could instead be converted into an agricultural pond for farmers.
Ashoka accused the Congress government of “insulting” the Manjunatha Swami temple in Dharmasthala and claimed it was part of a pattern of targeting Hindu religious sites, citing earlier controversies over Tirupati, Shabarimala, and Shani Singnapur.
He further criticised the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) without court orders, alleged possible foreign funding, and warned of a “larger conspiracy” behind the episode. While urging that the SIT not be disbanded, he demanded NIA involvement “to uncover the gang behind this.”
Ashoka also cited a separate complaint filed by a woman named Sujata Bhat, who claimed her daughter was kidnapped, but whose relatives reportedly told a TV channel she had no daughter and was not an MBBS student as claimed.
“Who is directing such cases?” he asked, calling the events “a sponsored activity” and urging the government to investigate the masked man’s background before spending more public money.
