New Delhi: Renowned journalist and Magsaysay Award winner P. Sainath has said that he is returning the Basavashree award.

He was given the award by the Muruga Mutt in 2017. Chief priest of Muruga Mutt Shivamurthy Muruga Sharanaru has been arrested on charges of sexually exploiting school girls.

In series of tweets, Sainath 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 act.”

He said that 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. Their persistence has forced the launch of the investigation.

“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 said.

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