Lingayat issue: Apology sought from RSS leader for his comments

Quit RSS if you have self-esteem, say leaders

The RSS has drawn flak for its public criticism of the demand by a section of the Lingayat community for a separate religion tag.

Ministers M.B. Patil and Vinay Kulkarni, and Basavaraj Horatti, MLC, who are in the forefront of the movement for separate religion for Lingayats, on Wednesday demanded public apology from the RSS for having described religious heads and politicians as “people who have lost their sanity.”

In Bagalkot on Sunday, RSS kshetra pracharak Su. Ramanna criticised religious heads and politicians who have been vocal in their support for the demand. He said that those who have not understood the very concept of religion were now talking about “Lingayat dharma”. He announced that the RSS would fight against “efforts to divide the society.”

Speaking on Wednesday, the Ministers urged Lingayats, who believe in Basavanna’s principles and vachanas as their religious text, to “quit RSS if they have self-esteem.”

Demanding an apology from Mr. Ramanna, they cautioned that failure to do so would result in protest by Lingayat leaders in front of RSS offices in taluks and districts. Both the Ministers and other leaders of the community said that Mr. Ramanna had not understood the very concept of Lingayat dharma. The criticism would also apply to community leaders in the BJP, including B.S. Yeddyurappa, V. Somanna, Murugesh Nirani, Jagadish Shettar and others, they said. They reminded the RSS that the BJP came to power for the first time in the State with the support of the community.

No committee yet

Meanwhile, office-bearers of Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha held discussions on setting up of an expert committee to take a call on Veerashaiva-Lingayat religion. The consultation was headed by president of the mahasabha Shamanur Shivashankarappa. However, no consensus could be reached on the issue.