Bengaluru: The Central Government on Tuesday filed a counter affidavit before the High Court in response to a batch of petitions filed against constituting a panel by the Karnataka State Minorities Commission to look into the demand for a separate religion status to Lingayats.
In its affidavit, the Centre stated that the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India had in 2011 conducted the census survey in which Lingayat/Veerashaiva Lingayat Sect are included along with various sects under the Hindu religion.
“There is no prescribed criteria for declaring any community as a religious minority under the National Commission for Minorities Act. However, for deciding any community as a minority, the Central government ministry, departments, National Commission for Minorities and other concerned organisations, the views of the stakeholders are to be taken into consideration,” it added.
It also mentioned that requests from various sectors in the past were made to recognise and declare Lingayat Community as a religious minority. The Commission had observed that Veerashaiva Lingayat is a Sect of Hindu religion and not an independent religion.
While mentioning 2001 and 2011 Census on seeking separate code number/column for Veerashaiva Lingayat community, it stated that the view was taken by the Census body that Veerashaiva is a Sect of Hindu religion and not an independent religion.
It further mentioned the views of the Census body that over and above if Veerashaiva-Lingayat is treated as a separate religion by providing separate code other than Hindu, all SCs professing Veerashaiva-Lingayat sect will lose their constitutional status, since SC can be only from Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh along with their sects.
Furthermore the affidavit states that if and when any proposal or representation is given to the Union Government, the same will be dealt in accordance with law.
The Central government stated that the recommendation of the state government is pending before the Centre and will look into the matter. The court adjourned the hearing to August 29.
