Mathe Mahadevi of Kudalasangama has accused BJP leaders of having “pressurised” Shivakumar Swami of Siddaganga Mutt, Tumakuru, to get his statement in their favour on the Veerashaiva- Lingayat row.
Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, she claimed that she had proof to prove her statement and would reveal the details soon.
“My sources have given me certain details that BJP leaders, including B.S. Yeddyurappa and V. Somanna, made attempts to win over the seer to their side and also pressurised him.”
'Memory problems'
Mathe Mahadevi claimed that the seer had “memory problem” and vested interests were trying to misuse this for their personal gain.
“Mainly the people who follow Hindutva and RSS ideologies who are close to the mutt are creating this problem by getting statements to give an impression that the mutt is not in favour of separate Lingayat religion,” she said.
She said that the Veerashaiva Mahasabha too had pressurised the mutt and the seer to issue statements that the terms Veerashaiva and Lingayat were one and the same.
Questioning the legality of the statement of the mutt, denying the claim of Minister for Water Resources M.B. Patil that the seer supported the demand for a separate religion tag for Lingayat, she said that the seer might have just signed it without reading it.
She said that Lingayat was already a separate religion and there was only a need for a constitutional recognition.
