5-day Datta Mala Abhiyan from November 9

CHIKMAGALUR: The five-day Datta Mala Abhiyan will start from November 9, said Sri Ram Sene state spokesperson Madhukar Mudradi.He told reporters on Friday that the Abhiyan this year will have a national stature as national leaders like Arjun Samanji, Tapan Ghosh and Pramod Mutalik would participate in the celebrations and many sadhus have expressed their willingness to take part in the rituals.Last year, the administration was biased by not allowing Sene activists to have darshan of Datta Paduks while VHP workers were permitted.We have submitted a memo to the deputy commissioner two months in advance, he added.“The Deputy Commissioner should inform us about this within a week. If permission is denied, he should give specific reasons. If this is not done within a week, the Sene will launch an agitation,” he warned. Demanding that repairs to the cave shrine atop the BB Hills be completed at the earliest, he asked MLA C T Ravi, former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and BJP national general secretary Ananthkumar where their declarations on wearing Datta Mala and making Datta Peta issue as second Ayodhya had gone.Appealing to the people of the district to welcome the devotees during the Datta Mala Abhiyan and the Datta Jayanthi, he urged the administration to install a Datta idol in the cave and appoint a Hindu priest besides translocating tombs in the Datta Peeta premises to Nagenanahalli down below