Datta Peetha: Two BJP Legislators arrested

Chikmagalur, Karnataka, Oct 11 (UNI) Two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Legislators and some Bajrang Dal activists were today taken into custody when they allegedly tried to perform prayers inside the Datta Peetha shrine in the Bababudangiri hills, violating court orders.

BJP Legislator Sunil Kumar and MLC Shobha Karandlaje were among those rounded up by the Chikmagalur police.

Police sources said the trouble started immediately after some of the seers entered the Datta Peetha and offered pooja to the 'Datta Paduke'. A group led by the BJP Legislators insisted on performing pooja on their own and tried to light a camphor, which was, however, thwarted by the police.

After the arrest, over 12,000 devotees, including BJP Legislators Raghupathy Bhat (Udupi) and Jeevaraj (Sringeri), had a peaceful darshan of the 'Padukes' kept inside the cave in the heavily barricaded hill. Later, the devouts took bath in a tank in the foot of the hills and disbanded their 'Datta Malas'.

Chikmagalur Legislator C T Ravi, who had declared that he would not disband his Datta Mala until the district authorities permitted 'Sankeerthana Yathra' in the city before taking darshan of the 'Paduke', however, did not participate in the day's rituals.

It may be recalled here that BJP State President D V Sadananda Gowda and hundreds of party workers and Hindu activists were taken into custody yesterday when they tried to take out a procession on their way to the controversial Bababudanagiri hill, defying prohibitory orders.

The district administration had deployed over 8,000 policemen in the district for peacefully conducting Datta Peetha darshan as per the directive of the High Court.

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