Hubballi: The split and crisis has come to the fore along with strong differences between pontiffs of different maths of Veerashaivas and Lingayats over separate religious status for Lingayats with thousands of followers of Rambhapuri seer from various parts of Dharwad, Haveri, Gadag and Bagalkot districts taking to the streets here on Tuesday to protest against those trying to break the unity in the guise of according status of religion.
Their protest comes close on the heels of contradictory statements by water resource minister M B Patil and veteran Congress leader and Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha president Shamanur Shivashankarappa on the same issue. They also raised slogans against woman seer Mathe Mahadevi for insulting Rambhapuri pontiff after he made a controversial remarks against her.
During the protest, they displayed booklets depicting her in a derogatory manner and linking her with another seer.
The Lingayat caste cauldron has been on the boil and triggered major controversy after she addressed a rally in Bidar where she raised the demand for a separate religion status for Lingayats. The woman seer and Rambhapuri pontiff are at loggerheads resulting in agitations by their respective followers across the state. The protesters warned that they would intensify their agitation if the state government does not recommend for separate religion status under single banner of Veerashaiva-Lingayat within two weeks. “Elected representatives, whom we have voted, have cheated us by trying to divide the community in the name of Veerashaiva and Lingayat. We will launch a campaign to vote only for those candidates who support our stand as per directions of Rambhapuri seer in the Assembly elections. We will hold a convention in Hubballi after consulting five Veerashaiva Jagadguru Samsthanas of Kashi, Kedar, Srishaila, Balehonnur and Dwaraka. We will raise Veerashaiva flag in every household of the community on this occasion,” Prakash Bendigeri, community leader, said.
Several seers have threatened violent protests to stop attempts to divide the community.
