Cooperation Minister H S Mahadeva Prasad hit out at “vested interests trying to create a rift among Veerashaivas,” and termed such attempts as a dangerous trend.
Speaking at a programme organised by the Akhila Bharatha Sharana Sahitya Parishat and Basava Samithi on Sunday, Prasad said a section of the community was trying to interpret Veerashaivism to meet their own ends.
“The religion of Veerashaivism has many revolutionary aspects to rid our society of blind faith and superstitious practices. There is no other religion having such a legacy. Some people are trying to contort this for their own interests, which is very dangerous and harmful,” Prasad said.
A section of Veerashaivas has demanded a ‘minority religion’ status and has claimed that they are different from Lingayats.
Governor H R Bhardwaj, who inaugurated the literary programme, lauded the contributions made to society by Basava Sharanas and said Basavanna’s lifetime was “a golden period.”