Will abide by apex forum's decision on religion tag to

Amidst raging differences overthe issue of separate religion status to Veerashivas/Lingayats, Karnataka BJP today said it would abide by the decision of the apex body of the communities in the matter.
"Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha president Shamanur Shivashankarappa has made it clear several times that Veerashiva and Lingayat communities are one. Shivakumara Swamiof Siddaganga Mutt, considered a walking God, has also stated the same," state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa said.
Speaking to reporters in Davangere, he accused JD(S) leader Basavaraj Horatti, who is at the forefront of a movement demanding separate religion status for Lingayat community, of creating "confusion" out of "selfish" motive by claiming support from BJP legislators.

"I want to tell Horatti...you do politics if youwant to, but unnecessarily do not drag BJP legislators intoit," Yeddyurappa said.
"BJP legislators and MPs are of one stand i.e. to abide by the decision taken by Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha,Siddaganga Swamiji and other seers," he said.
The demand for a separate religion tag to Veerashaiva/Lingayat faiths has surfaced from the numerically strong and politically-influential community, amidst resentment from within over projecting the two communities as the same.

While one section led by Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha has demanded a separate religion status, asserting that Veerashaiva and Lingayats are the same, the other group wants it only for Lingayats as they believe that Veerashaiva is one among the seven sects of Shaivas, which is part of Hinduism.

The Veerashaiva-Lingayat community that owes allegiance to the 12th century "social reform movement" initiated by Basaveshwara has a substantial population in Karnataka, especially in the northern parts of the state.
Accusing the Congress of playing politics on the issue, Yeddyurappa said the former had taken the stand of "breaking the community".
"We have nothing to do with it. What we are saying is we will abide by the decision taken by Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha," he said.
Recently, the Karnataka State Minorities Commission (KSMC), to which the state government had referred the issue, has formed a seven-member committee, headed by retired high court Judge H N Nagamohan Das, to look into the issue and submit a report in four-weeks time.

The committee will be examining three petitionsdemanding separate minority religion for Lingayats, onearguing that they are Hindus, and the other one by the AkhilaBharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha that demands minorityreligion tag for Veerashaiva-Lingayat.