Sun Aug 17 17:23:44 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the provided text, followed by a rewritten news article based on it:

**Summary:**

Harish Poonja, MLA for Belthangady, accuses an activist of making derogatory comments against BJP leader B.L. Santhosh, claiming it’s part of an “urban naxal” campaign to defame Hindu religious places, specifically the Dharmasthala temple. Poonja defends Santhosh’s criticism of activists who are using a mass burial probe to attack the temple. He also criticizes the state government for not acting against reporting and comments that hurt religious sentiments. He also reiterated the demand for reinvestigation into rape and murder of Soujanya and punishment for the real accused.

**News Article:**

**Belthangady MLA Condemns ‘Urban Naxal’ Campaign Against Dharmasthala Temple**

**MANGALURU, August 17, 2025** – Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja has strongly condemned what he describes as an “urban naxal” campaign to defame the Dharmasthala temple and other Hindu religious sites. His statement follows derogatory comments made by activist Mahesh Shetty Timarody against BJP national general secretary B.L. Santhosh in an interview with an online news portal.

Poonja asserted that the comments against Santhosh were part of a deliberate effort to discredit the temple, fueled by ongoing investigations into mass burial sites in the region. He stated that Santhosh’s criticism of activists who are using the probe to target the Dharmasthala temple has made him a target of personal attacks.

“B.L. Santhosh has dedicated himself to the country and the Rashtriya Swayam Sevaks,” Poonja told reporters in Belthangady. “These activists, by speaking ill of him, are defaming the entire organization.”

The MLA also criticized the state government for its alleged failure to act against what he called “fictitious reporting” and “derogatory” comments directed at the Dharmasthala temple and the revered deity ‘Annappa,’ particularly in connection with the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) investigation into the mass burial issue.

Poonja reiterated the demand for reinvestigation into rape and murder of Soujanya and punishment for the real accused.

The statements from the MLA highlight the sensitivity surrounding the mass burial investigation and the potential for it to be exploited for political or ideological purposes. The situation remains tense in the region.

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