Accusing a section of politicians and seers of disrespecting and talking lightly of Pejawar seer Vishwesha Tirtha Swami, MLC Basangouda Patil Yatnal has warned that he would launch an agitation against all such persons if they do not stop “disrespecting” the Pejawar seer.
Addressing presspersons here on Sunday, he said that he has no objection to seers and politicians demanding Lingayat religion. However, he opposed the same seers and politicians talking lightly of the Pejawar seer.
“Society has great respect for the Pejawar seer and his has been a guiding force for society. He has been doing numerous social works besides striving for the cause of Hindutva. Being so, the seer has full authority to guide society. Nobody has the right to talk ill about him,” Mr. Yatnal said.
Calling some saffron-clad seers as communist seers, he said that such seers were standing in support of anti-national elements and defaming the Hindu religion.
“I want to ask them what is your contribution to Hindu religion and society. How many Dalit localities you have visited and how many religious conversions you have stopped as the Pejawar seer has done,” he said, without naming any specific seer.
In an indirect reference to a former bureaucrat, S.M. Jamdar, who is one of the leaders spearheading the Lingayat movement, Mr. Yatnal wondered which book he had studied about Hindu religion that he was talking ill against the Pejawar seer.
He also wondered why no BJP leader is coming in support of the seer who was a staunch propagator of Hindutva. “If the BJP does not come to his support, I would lend my moral support to the seer,” he said.
He said that the demand for Lingayat religion was only to get reservation benefits and nothing more.
Mr. Yatnal also said that he would write to the district administration asking it not to mention his name in the invitation card for the Tipu Sultan Jayanti.
He said that he was against the Congress government celebrating the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan who was “anti-Hindu”.
Interestingly, he chose not to respond to a question when asked why BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa visited the tomb of Tipu Sultan and wore an attire just as Tipu Sultan did when he was in the Karnataka Janata Paksha. “You better put this question to him and not me,” he said.
