Speakers at the district-level convention to seek religion tag for Lingayat organised in Koppal on Saturday vociferously reiterated that they were steadfast in their demand and that there was no question of backing off from the ongoing struggle.
They also demanded that Lingayat should be accorded religion status and extended all facilities on par with those provided to minorities too.
Sri Siddlingaswamy of Tontadarya Mutt, Gadag, underlined the need for the community leaders to constitute a committee of legal experts to take the issue to the Supreme Court, if need be, and succeed in getting the religion tag for Lingayat. “Getting religion tag would help Lingayats get all facilities being extended to minorities,” he said. Sharanprakash Patil, Minister for Medical Education, said that the ongoing struggle for religion status would be continued as religion was for the welfare of the people and also to pass on the culture and tradition to posterity.
Vinay Kulkarni, Minister for Mines and Geology, made it clear that the ongoing struggle was not against any caste/religion. “As our demand seeking religion status for Veerashaiva-Lingayat had failed, we are now seeking independent religion status for Lingayat,” he said.
Basavalinga Pattadevaru of Bhalki, Basavaraj Rayaraddi, Minister for Higher Education, Basavaraj Horatti, MLC, Annapoorna of the Basava Seva Prathisthan, Arvind Jatti, president of the State Basava Samiti, and Sanjay Makal, were among the prominent swamijis and community leaders present.