BENGALURU: The state cabinet decision to give religion tag to Lingayats is staring at legal hurdles as the Rashtreeya Veerashaiva Parishad is contemplating to question the legal validity of the report submitted by Justice Nagmohan Das Committee.“The Parishad will meet soon to take a decision on the legal course. The government decision has been taken on the principle of divide and rule. The committee has submitted the report under government pressure.
Despite submission of voluminous records related to history, traditions of Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, the committee has taken a biased stand and submitted a report to the government ignoring our argument. Such a flawed report cannot be accepted,” Veera Someshwara Shivacharya Swamiji of Rambhapuri Mutt told reporters in Hubballi.
Government’s decision to appease a few seers without considering the opinion of many large mutts belonging to Veerashaiva- Lingayat sect would certainly boomerang, he warned.“No doubt Basavanna was a great social reformer, but he was never founder of any religion and ‘Dharma Guru’. Instead of creating uncertainty among Lingayats, the religious heads who are dividing the society in the name of Basavanna should be careful,” he said.
However, the support from Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru, could strengthen Siddaramaiah’s hands. Speaking to reporters, junior pontiff of the most revered Veerashaiva-Lingayat mutt, Sri Siddalinga Swamiji said, “the cabinet has taken a decision responding to the struggle of Lingayats. Let’s see what benefits the community will get when the Centre takes a decision on the state’s recommendation,” he stated.However, the seer asserted the community’s strong bonding with Hinduism. The Lingayat religion would remain as an offshoot of the Hindu religion like Jainism which also follows certain customs of Hindu religion, he said.
