Lingayats seers seek separate religion tag in two-day meet in Karnataka

KALABURAGI:  As expected, the first-ever conference by the Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha, which concluded at Basavakalyan (Bidar district) on Sunday, unanimously adopted a resolution demanding the central government to accept the recommendation made by the state government to accord a separate religion status to Lingayats. 

More than 20 pontiffs from various mutts and religious and social leaders were present, while senior litterateur Go Ru Channabasappa chaired the two-day meet. Leaders of all political parties maintained their distance from the conference.

In 2018, when Congress leader Siddaramaiah was the chief minister, the state government sent a recommendation to the central government to accord a separate religious status. But the Centre rejected it. It was one of the major reasons for Congress suffered a defeat in the 2018 Assembly elections. 

Other resolutions adopted at the conference included declaring Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha as the only representative body of the Lingayat community, asking state and central governments to hold Basava Jayanti in all states and pressurising the state government to declare Basaveshwara as the cultural leader of Karnataka. The conference also asked the Centre to name the new Parliament building, which is waiting for inauguration, as ‘Anubhava Mantap’.