Minister for Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa and Minister for Backward Classes, Kannada and Culture Shivaraj Tangadagi have ruled out the possibility of the State government neglecting Lingayats.
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The Ministers were interacting with reporters in Mysuru on Tuesday when reporters drew their attention to the complaints raised by veteran Congressman and Davangere South Assembly constituency MLA Shamanur Shivashanakarappa about the alleged “raw deal” to Lingayats during posting of officials.
Mr. Mahadevappa said the decisions on posting of officials are not taken on caste basis. He said Mr. Shivashankarappa, who heads the All-India Veershaiva Mahasabha, may have received a complaint from somebody, who had not got a post she or he had sought for.
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“The allegation may have been made in that context,” he said, while making it clear that the Congress government under Siddaramaiah would never neglect any community.
India is a secular country and the Congress is always for inclusive growth, Mr. Mahadevappa said, adding that Lingayats, Vokkaligas, Muslims, Dalits, and other Backward Classes are all part of society.
To questions on complaints against the Congress government from within the party, the Social Welfare Minister said the Congress has internal democracy and the partymen should raise issues at appropriate fora.
Mr. Tangadagi said the government does not post officials on the basis of caste, but on the basis of their work. He referred to the reports appearing in the media about the posts given to various castes and said there was no need to give much importance to the allegations.
Both Ministers ruled out any lack of coordination in the party and the government and said the BJP leaders, who had predicted the fall of the State government, were “daydreaming”. “It also means they do not have belief in the people’s mandate”, he said, referring to the 135 seats the Congress won in the last Assembly elections.