The clash broke out when the Lingayat followers were celebrating the government's decision while Veerashaiva followers were protesting against it.
Ahead of the state assembly elections, the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka Government earlier today accepted the suggestions of Nagamohan Das committee to form a separate religion status for the Lingayats community.
The suggestion which has been accepted under section 2D of the state Minorities Commission Act will now be sent to the Centre for the final approval.
A seven-member Nagamohan Das committee headed by retired high court Judge H N Nagamohan Das submitted its report on March 2, 2018, stating that "Lingayats in Karnataka may be considered as a religious minority."
Meanwhile, the Veerashaiva Lingayat Samanvaya Samiti opposed Karnataka government's decision of granting a separate religion status for the Lingayats community and termed it a politically motivated move.
1. Clashes break out between Lingayat and Veerashaiva followers
Clashes broke out between Lingayat followers and Veerashaiva followers in Kalaburagi. Lingayat followers had come to celebrate state cabinet's approval for recommendation of separate religion for Lingayat community, Veerashaiva followers had come to protest against the same.
A group of Lingayat seers on Monday met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and urged him to implement the report of an official committee that recommended conferring a separate religious and minority status to their community. The seers, led by Gadag-based Tontadarya Mutt's Siddalinga Swami, called on Siddaramaiah at his official residence here and wanted him to consider and implement the Nagmohan Das Committee's report which has said "Lingayats in Karnataka may be considered as religious minority."
3. Lingayat's 900-year-old fight
Senior BJP leader BS Yedyurappa, former chief minister of Karnataka and a Lingayat who came to power on the back of this vote bank in 2008, is opposed to the separation between these two communities. Having publicly participated in Vedic rituals and being an upholder of his party's aggressive Hindutva line, Yedyurappa claims the Lingayats and Veerashaivas are one and the same community, both of which belong to Hinduism.
Mohandas Pai call Congress communal
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