Hubballi: Hundreds of pontiffs, including heads of the Pancha Peethas, and over two lakh people are expected to descend on Gadag here on Sunday for the mammoth convention of the Veerashaivas, who are keen on coming out in strength against the alleged move to divide the community under the guise of the battle for a separate religious status for Lingayats.
While some Congress Ministers are spearheading the Lingayat movement, another party member and Mahasabha president, Shamanur Shivashankarappa will kick-off the mega convention.
The event has assumed importance in the backdrop of the state government announcing the constitution of a seven-member panel to look into the issue of granting minority and separate religious status to the Lingayats/Veerashaivas.
Veerashaiva seers and prominent leaders, who have been holding padayatras, discourses and meetings over the last two weeks to drive home their message that Veerashaivas and Lingayats are one and the same, clearly hope to showcase their strength at the Gadag convention.
The heads of the Pancha Peethas and other seers held a meeting with legal experts on Saturday to discuss the resolutions to be passed at the convention.
One of the heads of the Pancha Peethas, Rambhapuri seer, Dr Veerasomeshwara Shivacharya Swamiji, wanted to know why the government had not consulted the Akhil Bharat Veerashaiva Mahasabha before constituting the expert panel.
