Clarifying that there was never an intent to divide religion, Chairman of KPCC Campaign Committee M.B. Patil on Saturday said that the issue of getting minority tag for Lingayat will be taken forward after the elections, taking all seers and heads of Veerashaiva Lingayat community into confidence.
Replying to queries at a press conference in Hubballi on Saturday, Mr. Patil, however, declined to comment on the reported apology tendered by Congress leader Siddaramaiah before the seer of Sri Rambhapuri Peetha.
He said that he will not like to comment on what transpired between Mr. Siddaramaiah and the seer of the Sri Rambhapuri Peetha. He said that the question should be put to Mr. Siddaramaiah and that he was the right person to answer it. And, in the same breath, he added that he will also be meeting the seer of the Sri Rambhapuri Peetha shortly.
‘We will go together’
On whether the movement for religion status for Lingayat has ended, Mr. Patil clarified that it will continue but in a more planned and coordinated way after the general elections.
“We never intended to divide religion. In fact, all the 99 sub-sects of Lingayat had been taken into confidence when we made the demand for religion status and minority tag so that minority status will help the children of the community. Now also we want to take all together in our efforts,” he said.
“There are differences, we agree. But efforts will be made to take all, including the Panchacharyas and seers of Virakta Mutts, into confidence to go forward. It will happen after the elections as the issue is likely to take a year or two or even more,” he said.
To another query on whether they were apprehensive of facing the elections, Mr. Patil said that he had made his decision clear a year ago itself that the issue will be taken up after the next elections. He also clarified that there is no change in his stance that efforts should be made for getting benefits to all sub-sects of Lingayat.
