Religious leaders take Yeddy, HDK to task

BANGALORE:  Several religious leaders in Karnataka Tuesday disapproved of Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa's plan to take oath in a temple to "disprove" Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) leader H. D. Kumaraswamy's claim over graft charges against him.Sri Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Pejawar Mutt in Udupi in coastal Karnataka, Sri Deshikendra Swami of Suttur Mutt near Mysore and heads of several other mutts told Yeddyurappa and his predecessor Kumaraswamy to desist from dragging in gods to settle their political battles.Karnataka Lokayukta (ombudsman) N. Santosh Hegde, a retired judge of the Supreme Court and a civil society member drafting the Lokpal bill, also criticised the move. "Such acts by political leaders are not dignified," he told reporters in New Delhi.Kumaraswamy Saturday accepted Yeddyurappa's challenge to take oath in front of Lord Manjunatha at Dharmasthala, a well-known Hindu pilgrim centre about 300 km from Bangalore, and repeat the claim that he (Yeddyurappa) had "tried to buy my silence over graft charges against him".The two are to do so on June 27.Yeddyurappa's recourse to oath in the name of god to prove his innocence has evoked widespread ridicule and criticism from people and also from Congress, the main opposition in the state."This sort of swearing in the name of god to prove one's innocence or charges is inappropriate. Let veracity of charges and counter-charges be decided in people's court," Deshikendra Swami said in the presence of Yeddyurappa at a function in Kanakapura on Bangalore's outskirts Tuesday."I strongly disapprove of resorting to taking oath to settle such issues. The two leaders must desist from it," Vishwesha Tirtha Swami told reporters at Mangalore, about 60kms from Udupi.Yeddyurappa is a frequent visitor to Suttur Mutt.Earlier Tuesday Yeddyurappa had told reporters that he would go to Dharmasthala with his family on June 26 itself for the oath-test next day. "I will explain to the people why I decided to take oath and also challenge Kumraswamy to do after it is done," Yeddyurappa said.Kumaraswamy maintained Tuesday that he stands by his statement that Yeddyurappa has been trying through an emissary to buy my silence for over five months now."Even if nobody comes, I will be in Dharmsthala on June 27 and repeat my statement as I know what I am talking about," he told reporters when asked about the possibility of Yeddyurappa calling off his challenge in view of mounting criticism.