BENGALURU: Simmering Lingayat unrest over alleged derogatory remarks by Kaneri Mutt pontiff Sri Adrushya Kadasiddheshwar Swamiji, has taken a legal turn. The Lingayat Matadhipatigala Okkuta, a federation of over 300 Lingayat seers who spearheaded the statewide Basava Abhiyan, has filed a Rs 1 crore defamation suit against the Kaneri seer, accusing him of making “vulgar and slanderous insults” at pontiffs and the Basava movement.
The 30th Additional City and Civil Sessions Court, Bengaluru, granted a temporary injunction restraining the swami and his followers from making “defamatory or derogatory statements” against the Okkuta on media or social platforms. The order, seen as a victory for the Lingayat seers, is a legal gag on the Kaneri pontiff.
The controversy traces back to the swamiji’s speech in early October at Biluru village in Maharashtra’s Sangli district. In a video that went viral, the pontiff was seen mocking Lingayat seers advocating separate religious recognition, calling them ‘nataka thanda’ or drama troupe, and using unparliamentary language. He derided Basava devotees, urging followers to “throw home idols into rivers” and “drink and eat meat in hotels”, that enraged the community.
Protests swept the state, including Vijayapura, Belagavi, Bagalkot, Dharwad and Kalaburagi, as thousands of devotees under banners like Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha (JLM) and pro-Basava groups took to the streets, raising slogans, burning effigies and demanding the seer’s arrest.
Citing risks to communal harmony, the Vijayapura Deputy Commissioner imposed a two-month entry ban on the pontiff under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), a move later upheld by the Kalaburagi High Court Bench, which noted that “even ordinary citizens refrain from using such language”.
The controversy has taken on a political hue. The swami’s support among sections of the RSS and BJP, including leaders like Chakravarti Sulibele, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and others, has sparked accusations of political interference in religious matters. Critics allege that the saffron establishment is using the seer to counter the Lingayat separate religion campaign, risking alienating an influential voter bloc. As the Kaneri seer continues to operate from his Maharashtra headquarters, religious and political circles are watching closely.
