On Monday, Gunadharanandi Muni Maharaj, a prominent Jain pontiff from Karnataka, ended his fast unto death agitation and expressed forgiveness towards the killers of a monk in Belagavi.
Initially, Gunadharanandi Muni Maharaj had announced the fast unto death agitation to demand protection for religious leaders and a CBI probe into the murder of a Jain pontiff in Belagavi.
However, upon withdrawing the agitation, Gunadharanandi Muni Maharaj stated that the perpetrators should not be subjected to severe punishment and instead urged for a change of heart within them.
Dr. G. Parameshwara, the Home Minister, visited Gunadharanandi Muni Maharaj at his ashram in Varur and held a meeting with him. Gunadharanandi Muni Maharaj stated, "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar, and Dr. G. Parameshwara have spoken with me, and I am withdrawing my agitation."
He emphasized that the agitation was not politically motivated and received support from all political parties. Gunadharanandi Muni Maharaj expressed gratitude to Parameshwara for visiting despite his busy schedule. He further called for peace in Karnataka and acknowledged the support received from Panch Peeth math seers and even Muslim religious leaders.
Unprecedented, says state home minister
Home Minister Parameshwara commented, "The brutal hacking to death of Kamakumaranandi Maharaj is an unprecedented incident in our history. The accused individuals have been arrested, and the investigation is ongoing under the supervision of the DySP. The course of the investigation may reveal further details. However, it should be noted that the incident was not a result of negligence by any authorities."
Parameshwara assured that the demands put forth by the pontiff regarding the protection of Jain religious pontiffs during transit and the security of Jain ashrams would be addressed by the government.
The state home minister also emphasized the need to prevent such incidents from occurring in the state and urged against politicizing the brutal murder. He dismissed allegations that the government was protecting the accused and stated that there was no justification for transferring the case to the CBI.
(With inputs from IANS)
