Lingayat issue: High Court asks Centre to specify stand

BENGALURU: Advocate General on Tuesday submitted before the Karnataka High Court that since the Central Government cannot take a decision on the state’s recommendation to accord religious minority status to Lingayats-Veerashaivas in view of the prevailing code of conduct, there is no urgency to hear the case.

Madhusudan R Naik made this submission before the division bench of Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice BM Shyam Prasad during the hearing of public interest litigations challenging the constitution of a panel by the Karnataka State Minorities Commission to look into the demand of Lingayats, on the ground that it has no powers.

While adjourning the hearing to April 13, the court asked the Central government to specify its stand on the notification dated March 22 issued by the state recommending the Union government to accord the religious minority status to Lingayats.  The PILs were filed by Shashidhar Shanbhog and others.