BELAGAVI: The faction of the Lingayats seeking separate religion status has decided to hold talks with the Veerashaiva Mahasabha, the umbrella group which includes Lingayats, and to take a joint delegation to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. However, the Lingayat Swatantra Dharma Horata Samithi also underlined that it will not step back from demanding separate religion status for Lingayats.
In a massive rally attended by close to one lakh people on Lingaraj College Grounds here on Tuesday, the Samithi members said that the talks will be held with Veerashaiva Mahasabha as per the suggestion of Siddaramaiah. More than a lakh Lingayats from various parts of the state, including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana participated in the rally. They wore Gandhi caps with slogans seeking separate religion status written on them.
Shivamurthy swamy of Murugha mutt of Chitradurga said that the Lingayat religion believes in changing the minds and hearts of the people. “Though there are hundreds of Lingayat mutts in the state, only 50 pontiffs of various mutts who have faith in Basavanna’s principles attended. The pontiffs believe it is the need of the hour to meet the Veerashaiva Mahasabha and convince them in this regard. Nothing can be achieved with enmity.
We must together submit memorandum to the government to accord separate religious status for Lingayats,” he said. “We must convince the Mahasabha and if they do not agree we will start a ‘Veerashaivas Quit Lingayat Religion’ movement,” Basavajayamrutunjaya swamy of Kudala Sangam mutt said.