BENGALURU:IN response to a batch of petitions filed against constituting a panel by the Karnataka State Minorities Commission to look into the demands of separate religion status to Lingayats, the Karnataka High Court on Thursday asked the state government to file its objections, while adjourning the hearing to March 9.
A division bench of Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice S Sunil Dutt Yadav issued this direction. The court said this court had already passed the interim order that the constitution of the panel is subject to the result of these petitions.
This was after the counsels of the petitioners submitted that the any decision taken by the panel on the issue will create social tension as the authorities are going ahead with the proceedings of the panel. The counsels also pleaded that the some cabinet ministers are organising conventions in support of granting minority status.
Additional Advocate General A S Ponnanna informed the court that the statement of objections is ready and it will be filed.The state government referred the matter of demand of separate religion to Karnataka State Minorities Commission which constituted a panel of experts on December 22, 2017, to look into the same.
Shashidhar Shanbhog and others have challenged this on the grounds that the commission was formed by the state only to look after the welfare of the minority communities and hence it has no power to constitute the panel.