Pic: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SS)

Udupi, Jun 2: Members of the Vishwa Bunts Naadavara Janajaagrathi Balaga, Vasanth Nagar, Bengaluru on Thursday June 1 condemned 'self-proclaimed swami' Vishwa Santhosh Bharati Swamiji and his various activities, including him filing a police complaint against five persons. They also informed about a forthcoming protest against the same.

Speaking at the meet, convener of the Balaga M Chandrashekar Hegde alleged, "Two years ago, a self-proclaimed swami had set up an ashram called ‘Bunta Mahasamsthaana’ and tried to make it a ‘Bunta Peeta’. In the backdrop, he had changed its name to ‘Barkur Mahasamsthaana Bhargava Beedu’, where establishment of Tulunadu Daivas and other practices took place and he tried to portray himself as the ‘kulaguru’ of Bunts. When he was questioned about this, he filed a police complaint on the community’s five social thinkers in Brahmavar police station making false accusations on them, trying to destroy human freedom. Condemning this, there will be a protest held on Saturday June 3, at the Brahmavar Bunts' Bhavan."

The complaint had been filed by the Samsthaana’s administration officer Anil Kumar Shetty on behalf of the swamiji, alleging that the five members have tried to take his life, among other allegations, said the convener.

"We have no personal grudges. This protest is based on religious principles. We as Bunts do not want a peeta. This is what we are against. He has made false allegations that a suspicious-looking car was deen near his ‘Samstaana’ and given the car number. On investigation it was found to be the number of an auto-rickshaw. This clearly shows that his intention was just to shut our mouths. He as a swami is trying to create enmity. We as Bunts respect all religious leaders. But if we just remain silent about this, he might level false allegations on more people. Hence, we are protesting against this. We neither want the peeta, nor the person who’s doing it," said A N Shetty, president, Vishwa Bunts Naadavara Janajaagrathi Balaga, Bengaluru.

He added that they had protested against the establishment of the ‘peeta’ in their Brahmavar auditorium in 2014, and also alleged that the swami is married, has a son and is enjoying the worldly pleasures of life.

Arooru Thimappa Shetty, vice-president, Bunt Sangha Brahmavar, said, "The swami is already a peetadhipati of one peeta. Now this new peeta is a new money-making technique. We’ve been waiting from 2014, just to see if there is anything good being done with the money. But no social work has been done with it, whatsoever."

The members feel he has been influencing the religious and cultural proceedings of the Karavali region for his own benefits and selfishness. They will protest against this and also the false allegations, and prove the truth, they said.

Vice-president Aanagalli Karunakar Hegde and legal consultant Krishnaraj Shetty Choradi of the Bunts Janajaagrathi Balaga were also present.