Devotees attack activist at Kukke temple

MANGALORE: Members of indigenous Malekudiya community took the law into their own hands by assaulting an activist on the Kukke Subrahmanya temple premises on Wednesday.Eyewitness told Express that an hour before the ritual started, trouble erupted when Karnataka Rajya Hindulida Vargagala Jagrutha Vedike president K H Shivaram from Mysore offended the sentiments of Malekudiyas-who take pride in being recognised as one among the important stakeholders of the annual Sashti Mahotsava at Kukke Shri Subramanya temple.  A V Nagesh Malekudiya, who was injured in the melee that followed during the free-for-all assault on Shivaram, blamed the later for provoking members of his community to assault him. He said Shivaram had attributed their (malekudiyas) support to made-made snana to their lack of education. “They decided enough was enough when he accused Malekudiyas of taking money from Brahmins and acting at their behest to support the ritual,” informed Nagesh, recuperating in a government hospital in Subrahmanya.Sources told Express that Malekudiyas were seething with anger when Shivaram had gone on air on Tuesday criticising the ritual and threatening to move SC against the state government for patronising the inhuman practice at an endowment temple. “The mob surrounded Shivaram and begun raining blows on him. His attempts to flee from the blows yielded little success as he was chased around the temple. Tearing his shirt he was stripped to his underwear, eyewitness said. Shivaram’s 30 odd supporters from Mysore were not spared either, sources said. In the melee that followed, Nagesh Malekudiya sustained injuries and was admitted to the hospital.“Shivaram and his supporters after being treated as out-patients left for Mysore,” D-K SP Labhu Ram told Express and added that based on his complaint a case was registered in Subrahmanya police station. Without naming anyone, Shivaram has accused the mob of assaulting him. “We will identify the youth in the course of our investigation,” Labhu Ram said. Shri Vidyaprasanna Theertha swamiji of the temple, however, refused to comment on the incident.