Hubballi: The row over Lingayat religion status is all set to resurface after the Assembly elections with leaders and seers, who converged in Dharwad on Sunday, stressing the need to keep the movement alive.
Lashing out at BJP national president Amit Shah and the RSS, the former IAS officer and leader of the Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha, S.M. Jamdar alleged that he has misled the people during the election campaign and this had caused a setback to the Lingayat movement.
Delivering a lecture on Lingayat religion, organised by Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha and Rashtriya Basava Sene, he claimed that the agitation for independent religion status is not confined to any political party and the campaign is slowly gaining momentum.
He also said that Mr Amit Shah had no power to talk against the demand for minority tag.
A file photo of a gathering during an awareness rally on Lingayat religion
"Amit Shah had assured seers that he will not allow a division of Lingayat religion when he visited Shivayogi Mandir in Badami taluk. He engaged in false propaganda by asserting that the Lingayat rallies were meant to secure electoral benefits. This caused a setback to our movement. We have enough evidence to seek independent religion status and everything has been provided to the Central government. Is Mr Shah the Prime Minister or a minister to say that he will not allow a division of the religion?", Jamdar questioned.
Mallikarjun Swamiji of Dharwad Murugha Mutt claimed that several Lingayat rallies before the Assembly elections have helped in creating awareness about the need for minority tag for the community.
The seer also stressed the need to strengthen the Lingayat organisation at the village and taluk level.
Even though Lingayat agitators had maintained before the polls that their movement was non-political, the majority of leaders belonged to the Congress. Due to this, several Congressmen were deprived of ministerial berths in the coalition government after the party suffered a jolt in the election.
Though JD(S) leader Basavaraj Horatti has backed the movement, questions are being raised whether he will actively get involved in it with party supremo H.D. Deve Gowda reportedly upset with him. Therefore, it remains to be seen how many politicians take part in the movement now.
