Bengaluru: With Lingayats stepping up the pressure for a separate minority religion tag for their community, the Vokkaligas, not to be left behind, are upping the ante!
A fortnight ago, former deputy chief minister R. Ashok had said that even Vokkaligas had to be recognised as separate sect, due to their socio-economic and religious beliefs. On Friday, former minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy echoed the same sentiments.
However, both leaders have been politic — leaving the decision to Vokkaliga community religious leader and seer of Sri Adichunchanagiri mutt Sri Nirmalananda Swamiji.
With BJP leader Amit Shah arriving for a three-day visit, the Lingayat-Vokkaliga game of one-upmanship takes centrestage.
Will Patil’s card play out?
Is CM Siddaramaiah making a blunder by giving a free hand to Mr M.B. Patil to run the religion-status campaign? Community leaders told DC, "Mr Siddaramaiah is a good man but Mr Patil wants to be leader of the community and might have misled the CM that he would divide the community and get more votes for the Congress." Insiders said the respected Suttur and Siddaganga pontiffs were given invitations to attend Thursday's meeting, but both declined, as did pontiffs of pancha peetha.
