HUBBALLI: Several prominent Veerashaiva seers are up in arms about the recommendation by a panel headed by former high court judge H N Nagamohan Das on grant of minority tag for Lingayats, alleging that the Congress government would use this panel’s report for electoral gains during forthcoming polls to the Legislative Assembly.
These seers charged CM Siddaramaiah with attempting to drive a wedge between Veerashaivas and Lingayats with the help of this panel’s report. They charged that the state government pressured the seven-member committee to submit its report early though it had sought six months to study the contentious issue of separate religion status for Lingayats. “It is regrettable that political power is trying to divide Veerashaivas and Lingayats though both are one and the same. Mr Siddaramaiah is planning to wash off his hands over the controversy by recommending to the Centre for independent religion status. Thus, the CM is trying to woo the community ahead of Assembly elections by obtaining the panel report much before six months sought by its members,” says Dr Chandrashekar Shivacharya Swamiji of Kashi Peetha.
Several seers said they would not object if the state government recommends minority tag for Veerashaiva-Lingayat combine.
Meanwhile, Rambhapuri seer, Dr Veerasomeshwara Shivacharya Swamiji, claimed that Akhila Bharat Veerashaiva Mahasabha would wage a legal battle against the proposed move. Besides, the Mahasabha had opposed the government’s move to constitute the panel as all its members lacked thorough knowledge of the history of the community and favoured separate religion status for Lingayats. “The government’s decision to set up a panel to discuss the demand for separate religion status itself was wrong. It has succeeded in getting its report within two months by hatching a conspiracy. Few seers and politicians, who are leading the movement for minority tag, will repent in days to come for dividing the community”, the seer warned. Interestingly, many seers, including Jaya Mruthyunjaya Swamiji of Kudal Sangam Panchamasali Peetha, welcomed the decision of the panel. They urged the state government to move the Centre on the issue of minority status for Lingayats.
