About 20 Veerashaiva pontiffs today met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and expressed their displeasure over a government appointed expert panel's report reportedly favouring giving separate religion status and minority tag to only Lingayats while excluding Veerashaivas.
"We are unhappy with the report as it is in favour of the Lingayat faction, which was well represented in the expert committee," they told reporters after meeting Siddaramaiah at his official residence 'Krishna' here.
The seers urged the government not to make any recommendation to the central government until the completion of assembly elections in the state.
"The issue is serious and needs long deliberations.So, we urge the government not to make any recommendation to the Centre till the completion of the polls," Sri Dingaleshwara Swami of Balehosur Math said.
He said of 3,000 pontiffs, only a handful were supporting those "who are conspiring to break the community."
The government, if needed, can set up another expert committee with representation from both factions - Lingayatas and Veerashaivas, he said.
The seers warned that they would launch a massive agitation if the government went ahead with its plan to place the report before the Centre, Dingaleshwara Swami said.
"The ball is in the state government's court. We have urged the chief minister not to take any decision that will break the community and not to accept the report."
A week after the expert committee submitted its report, ministers Eshwar Khandre and S S Mallikarjuna, son of veteran congress leader and All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha president Shamanur Shivashankarappa, have asked Siddaramaiah to reject it.
Sensing opposition from Veerashaiva ministers, Siddaramaiah had yesterday reportedly postponed a cabinet meeting, apparently to buy time to solve the dilemma.
The BJP has been cautious enough not to ruffle the feathers of both Veerashaivas and Lingayats, who form the saffron party's votebank.
Lingayat strongman and state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa has been saying his party would not tolerate the chief minister's efforts to "divide" the community.
In a memorandum to the chief minister, the delegation of seers stated that Veerashaiva-Lingayat was an ancient religion established by Lord Shiva, propagated through panchaacharyas (pontiffs), Basavanna and sharanas (followers).
"The recent development has not only pained us, but also diverted our attention towards safeguarding our religion. We urge the state to take a favourable decision by rejecting the report," the memorandum said.
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