“Scandal” and “controversy” are the middle names of ISKCON.
Weighed down by the dum maaro dum bestowed inflicted on it by Bollywood, the cult has been accused of being a CIA outfit; its gurukuls have been infamous for sex scandals, child abuse, molestation and homosexual abuse; there have been whispers of its founder being murdered.
It falls to a pattern, therefore, that ISKCON’s proposed Krishna Lila theme park on Kanakapura Road in Bangalore, for which the bhumi pooja took place today (in picture), should have been begun on a litigious note, with charges of land grabbing flying around between ISKCON and the Congress’ D.K.Shiva Kumar.
Money for the 28 acre, Rs 350 crore “family edutainment” theme park inspired by Disneyland, and aimed at weaning Indian kids away from western comic-strip icons Superman and Spiderman, will be raised by developing a “heritage township” on the 42.5 acres near the hillock.
