BJP minister disrespected seer, followers say

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: State Revenue Minister R Ashoka found himself in an unenviable position after he was accused by the Congress of disrespecting the Vokkaliga seer of Adichunchanagiri Mutt Nirmalanandanatha Swamy by placing a hand on the holy man’s shoulder.

A photograph of the same has gone viral. It was taken on Friday at the city’s international airport premises during the unveiling of the ‘Statue of prosperity’, a 108- foot idol of Kempegowda, the city’s founder.

"Even the patriarchs should have realised their dignity and kept their distance from hypocritical politicians," said a follower of the seer. "Mr Ashok, please stop playing around and act responsibly and respect your position as a minister. People are watching you in public life," said another follower.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Twitter handle pointed out that Ashoka had in fact placed his hands on the seer’s shoulder. “Swamijis maintain their own respect and dignity. Did R Ashoka even think before placing his hands on the shoulder of the Adichunchanagiri seer? Would he dare to do the same to Modi? BJP talks about religion and culture, but doesn’t even have minimum decency,” it said.

Thereafter, it was bandied on social media and messaging apps that Ashoka’s attitude towards the seer had been flippant and disrespectful. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time a BJP bigwig has been accused of disrespecting Nirmalanandanatha Swamy.

Back in August 2017, the then BJP president Amit Shah was slammed for sitting cross-legged before the seer on his visit to the Adichunchanagiri Mutt in Mandya district’s Nagamangala taluk.