Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (EP)
Udupi, Dec 8: A complaint of insulting a Dalit individual stands is registered against priest of Karje Mahalingeshwara temple here.
The priest, Ramachandra Adiga had reportedly stopped a devotee entering Raghavendra Belanje temple for Karthik Deepotsav on Thursday afternoon asking his name and hometown. When the priest came to know that he is a dalit, he allegedly insulted the devotee, refused to give Theertha to him, hurled expletives and drove him away with a stick.
Ramachandra Adiga called assistant priests Srikanth and Shivakumar and asked them to put the devotee outside the temple. Raghavendra, the devotee was pushed out by the neck, slapped on the face, threatened to kill and 1.5 sovereign gold chain was snatched from his neck. A case of violence towards scheduled caste and tribe under relevant section is registered in Brahmavar police station.