CM's panel move rattles Veerashaiva seers

Bengaluru: The government’s decision to  constitute an eight member expert committee to study the demand of  the Lingayats for  a separate religious status has angered Veerashaiva pontiffs and leaders.

Calling it a deliberate move by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to divide the community in view  of the  2018 Assembly elections, Sri Dingaleshwara Swamiji regretted that  he had not consulted Veerashaiva Lingayat leaders and pontiffs before making the announcement.

“We are very upset with Mr Siddaramaiah for targeting our community only for political gain. A meeting of our leaders will be convened soon to decide the future course of action," he added, also coming down hard on the government giving the panel only four weeks to wade through the representations from various  Lingayat and Veerashaiva Lingayat groups and individuals and make the necessary recommendations to the Karnataka State Backward Classes Commission.

“ Granting a separate religion status to a community cannot be decided in a month. It requires detailed study of historical documents and evidence and dialogue with the subject experts. Veerashaivas and Lingayats  lived cordially for decades and now the CM has created animosity among them. This does not augur well for the government and the community leaders will take the right decision at the right time,” the seer warned.  Not everyone in the Congress too appears happy with the government's move.  A senior Congress leader said it was suicidal of it to constitute the panel with the Assembly elections  fast approaching.

“It will bring bouquets to Mr Siddaramaiah if his idea clicks, but it may boomerang if Veerashaiva leaders of the Congress  campaign against their own party in the Assembly polls or join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party,” he contended, adding, “I think the Chief Minister has been misled by Ministers M B Patil,  Vinay Kulkarni and  Dr Sharan Prakash Patil who want to emerge as the unquestionable Lingayat leaders of north Karnataka.”