Lingayat seer Sri Shivamurthy Shivacharya Swamiji asked Amit Shah to “do the needful” for granting the religious minority status to the community.
A day after BJP National President Amit Shah’s visit to the Lingayat pontiffs seeking blessings, a top Lingayat seer has put the party in a fix over Lingayat Religion tag issue. Reportedly, Sri Shivamurthy Shivacharya Swamiji– a pontiff of Chitradurga’s Muruga Mutt has written a letter to BJP President Amit Shah asking him to support the separate religious status accorded to the community by the State government of Karnataka led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
The incident comes in the wake of CM Siddaramaiah’s masterstroke of granting religious minority status to the Lingayat community ahead of Karnataka Assembly Elections in May this year. BJP, the principle opposition of Congress in Karnataka has been vigorously opposing this move calling it an attempt by Congress to divide the “Hindus”. However, the letter by the seer has put the BJP in a fix. According to the sources, the seer Sri Shivamurthy Shivacharya Swamiji even asked Amit Shah to “do the needful” before handing over the letter to him.
The seer, in his letter, pointed out that on the surface of the issue, it might seem that there is a conflict between Lingayats and Veershaiva-Lingayats. “However, it is the only temporary outbreak of emotions,” he added. He even expressed confidence that the conflict will not last too long and said that the minority status will be beneficial for the youths of the community. Hailing the Karnataka government’s decision as right, he said, “It is not a step to divide the community, but a measure to unite the already subdivided sub caste followers in Lingayats.”
After the Karnataka state government finally granted the religious minority status to the politically and socially influential Lingayat community in the state, BJP President Amit Shah took it upon himself to meet all the Lingayat seers in the state and connect those who are opposing the state government’s move. However, this seems difficult considering the community has been demanding the separate religious status since years.
The Lingayats are BJP’s traditional voter base. BJP’s chief ministerial pick BS Yeddyurappa too hails from the community. After the seer handed him the letter, Amit Shah promised him to look into the matter. However, sources reveal that Shah was left flabbergasted as he did not expect the affirmative response from the seer.
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