Close on the heels of some devotees of Fakkireshwar Mutt in Shirahatti opposing Fakira Dingaleshwar Swami’s decision to contest the Lok Sabha elections, writer and activist Basavaraj Sulibhavi has opposed the seer’s political plans and advised the seer to abdicate the peetha (religious chair) and join a political party that suited his nature.
Addressing presspersons in Gadag on Monday, Mr. Sulibhavi likened Fakira Dingaleshwar Swami to a politician who is capable of employing various political tactics and engaging in conspiracy.
Mr. Sulibhavi said that there is no clarity in the seer’s remarks on injustice to Lingayats. “The seer speaks of contesting independently from Dharwad Lok Sabha Constituency. He says his fight is against Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and not against the BJP. He says Mr. Joshi has meted out injustice to Lingayats but does not specify it and support it with data,” he said.
He said that BJP has actually been trying to bring all small religious denominations under the ambit of Hinduism and that is the reason when a movement was launched for religion status for Lingayat, it was opposed by BJP.
“In fact, Fakira Dingaleshwar Swami too opposed it. But now he is saying that Lingayats are being ill-treated. For the first time, we are hearing him refer to the term Lingayat,” he said.
Mr. Sulibhavi also said that after being named as the successor of Fakkireshwar Mutt which followed a syncretic tradition, Dingaleshwar Swami has not spoken openly against political organisations that have indulged in communal violence. Even when continuous efforts were made to disturb communal harmony, the seer did not speak a word against them. There is only opportunism in the seer’s decision to contest the elections, he added.
