Bengaluru, Aug 23 : Following the arrest of the unidentified complainant, also referred to as the "mask man", in connection with the Dharmasthala case, Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka on Saturday demanded that the Congress-led government apologise to the people of the state.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Ashoka said, "The government has acted hastily in connection with the Dharmasthala murder case. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should have applied common sense before ordering a probe. Now, will CM Siddaramaiah rectify the propaganda carried out against the temple town of Dharmasthala?"

He further stated, "The missing case of Ananya Bhat in Dharmasthala has also turned out to be false. We have been consistently saying that there is a conspiracy behind the allegations made against Dharmasthala. This was meticulously planned. The Congress-led government even provided the mask man with high security, more than what the CM himself enjoys."

He alleged that it was all a conspiracy to defame Lord Manjunatha of Dharmasthala and religious conversions.

Ashoka also questioned the connection between YouTuber Sameer, who systematically carried out "propaganda and used offensive language in every video against Dharmasthala, and these developments?"

He added, "Has there ever been an instance where a mosque or its surroundings were excavated based on allegations? The Chief Minister and cabinet ministers are directly involved in this conspiracy to target Hindus. Only Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is making statements in support of the temple, and that too just for appearances. The Congress party must apologise to the people of Karnataka."

Ashoka recalled, "I had already stated on the floor of the House that all allegations in the Dharmasthala case are false. BJP MP Kota Srinivas Poojary has also demanded an investigation into foreign funding that is allegedly being used to spread propaganda against Dharmasthala. It would be better if the state government handed over the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA)."

In a major development, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Saturday arrested the unidentified complainant in connection with the alleged Dharmasthala murders case.

The mask man has been produced before the court, and the SIT is likely to seek his custody for further investigation.

/IANS