Bengaluru, Jan. 24 -- The political row over the Siganduru temple has escalated into a legal battle, with former minister Haratalu Halappa issuing a defamation notice to Congress MLA Beluru Gopalakrishna and warning of a Rs 5 crore lawsuit unless an unconditional apology is tendered or evidence is produced.
Halappa accused the MLA of repeatedly making false claims that he had attempted to bring the Siganduru temple under the Muzrai department during his tenure as an MLA. Dismissing the allegations as 'baseless' and 'malicious', Halappa said he had never even contemplated handing over the temple to the government or Muzrai authorities.
Calling the repeated statements an attempt to tarnish his image, Halappa said the issue was being deliber...