A protest held under the aegis of the Basava Dharma Peetha headed by Mathe Mahadevi has urged the State government to withdraw the notification that directs tahsildars to mention Lingayats as ‘Veerashaiva Lingayats’ while issuing caste certificates.
In a memorandum submitted to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, they said the notification was issued by the Congress government headed by the then Chief Minister S.M. Krishna. As per the notification, Lingayat was a sub-sect of Veerashaiva, which was not correct. Historical evidences established that Veerashaiva was a sub-sect of Lingayat faith.
The government should withdraw this notification and the people of this community should be issued caste certificates as ‘Lingayats’, the memorandum said.
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The protesters also criticised Kedarpeeth seer Bheemashankar Shivacharya and other seers of Panchapeeth for trying to defame Basavanna. In a press conference, Managundi Mahamane seer Basavananda Swami said that questioning the authenticity of Basavanna being the founder of Lingayat faith was incorrect.
The efforts to get independent religion status for Lingayat faith would be defeated if Veerashaiva and Lingayat faith were treated as one. Veerashaivism was an offshoot of Shaivism , he added.