Senior journalist P Sainath has returned the Basavshree award conferred on him by Muruga Math in the year 2017 over the alleged involvement of Shivamurthy Murugha Sharana in a sexual assault case.
In a letter to the media, the senior journalist said, “I am most disturbed to learn from media reports of the appalling developments involving the pontiff of the Shri Murughamath in Chitradurga, Shri Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru. He now faces a case and charges under the POCSO and SC/ST acts for alleged sexual abuse of children, specifically high school girls. ” “No words are strong enough to condemn any such offences against children.
“In solidarity with the survivors and with the cause of justice in this case, I hereby return the Basavashree award (and the Rs. 5 lakhs prize money that came with it, by cheque) conferred on me by the Math in 2017.”
“I would like to record my appreciation of the efforts of the Mysuru-based NGO “OdaNadi” to bring the awful incidents to light and their decades-long fight against social evils. And I appeal to the Karnataka government to pursue the investigation into the scandal vigorously and not allow that to be compromised on any grounds whatsoever,” he wrote
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