Lingayat religion: Chitradurga seer's letter to Amit Shah says minority tag will unite the community

The seer of Chitradurga Mutt, Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, has written to BJP president Amit Shah on the Lingayat issue He said that the recommendations by the Karnataka government on the Lingayat issue will unite the various sub-castes within the community

The seer of Chitradurga Mutt, Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, has written to BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday, March 27, saying that the recommendations by the Karnataka government on the Lingayat issue will unite the various sub-castes within the community

In the letter, he mentioned that the Lingayats are a religious group that has special tenets on the lines of revolution of Sharanas of 12th century AD in Karnataka. He said that the recommendations, if accepted will help the community's youth.

“Minority status to this religion will deliver some benefits to youth of community-individually and collectively. It is not a step to divide community but measure to unite divided sub-castes of Lingayats,” Seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru said in his letter to Amit Shah.

He also said that the fallout between Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats is only a temporary outbreak of emotions of small groups  in the followers of both faiths.

BJP president Amit Shah on Monday maintained that the Siddaramaiah government's move to accord separate religious minority status to Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats was aimed at preventing BS Yeddyurappa from becoming chief minister.

Favouring the Lingayat community, Amit Shah said, " I want to tell Karnataka people that if BJP wins a majority, we will make Yeddyurappa chief minister."

This could reinforce the Lingayat community's belief that the BJP will accord them a religious minority status.