Reacting sharply to allegations made by veteran Congress leader and MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa that officials from the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community are getting a raw deal under his party’s government in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said postings are not made on the basis of caste.
Mr. Shivashankarappa, who heads the All-India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, claimed that civil servants belonging to the community had been given a raw deal. He made his grouse public at a function in Bengaluru recently.
Dismissing the allegations, the Chief Minister on Saturday pointed out that there were seven Lingayat Ministers in his Cabinet. On Sunday, Mr. Siddaramaiah said his party does not indulge in caste or community politics. “Ours is a secular government, there will be no injustice to anyone,” he said.
