Kerala govt rubbishes K'ntaka minister's animal sacrifice claims

Thiruvananthapuram: Reiterating that the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's claim of animal sacrifice was baseless, the Kerala government rubbished the Karnataka minister's claim on Saturday.

Shivakumar alleged that an animal sacrifice was conducted against him, CM Siddaramaiah and the Congress government in Karnataka, near the Rajarajeshwara temple at Taliparamba in Kannur district.

Kerala Devasom Minister K Radhakrishnan said, "We investigated the claim and also contacted the Malabar Devaswom Board. The preliminary report we got states that nothing like that has happened in or near the temple. The Devaswom Board also confirmed it."

He said that why Mr Shivakumar made such an allegation needs to be examined. He said that the Kerala government is probing any incidents like Shivakumar alleged have happened anywhere in the state, but added that initial reports regarding the same turned out negative. The Special Branch of Police gave a report to the State Police Chief, pointing out that no evidence was found indicating that the allegation was true.

Reminding that animal sacrifices have been prohibited by law since 1968, he said that it was unlikely to happen so in the state.

On Friday, the managing committee of the temple refuted Shivakumar's allegations, calling them 100 per cent false.

It was on Thursday, Karnataka minister DK Shivakumar alleged that a ritual named "Shatru Bhairavi Yaga", involving sacrifices of animals was performed at a Kerala temple by some political people, consulting 'aphorism' (monastic order of ascetic Shaivite sadhus).