Mutt heads warn of stir if govt goes ahead on separate faith issue

A meeting of Mutt heads here on Tuesday demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should reject the report of the Justice Nagmohan Das committee, recommending separate religion status for Lingayats.

The seers warned that statewide agitations would be held against the Congress if the government forwarded the report to the Centre. The pontiffs, under the leadership of Kashipeetha seer Chandrashekara Shivacharya Swami, plan to submit a memorandum to Siddaramaiah in this regard on Wednesday.

Shivacharya Swami accused ministers M B Patil and Vinay Kulkarni of trying to divide the people of the community, just for electoral gains. He said the state was not empowered to grant minority status to any community.

Dingaleshwara Swami of Balehosur said they would launch a legal battle against those Veerashaiva Mutt heads who are supporting the demand for a separate Lingayat religion.  

He said the chief minister should declare that Lingayats and Veerashaivas were one and the same if they any concern for the community. Siddaramaiah should convince the community leaders belonging to his party in this regard, the pontiff said.