Then yes and now no: Yeddyurappa's stance on independent religion for Lingayats comes under scanner

Yeddyurappa and other 56 BJP leaders had signed the letter demanding separate religion in 1991 and 2013 But now the State BJP president is strongly opposing the move to exclude Lingayats from Hindu religion Yeddyurappa, being a prominent Lingayat leader, is caught in a dilemma as election year fast approaches

Past things come back to haunt us, sometimes at the wrong time and this is exactly what is happening with State BJP president BS Yeddyurappa. After vehemently opposing an independent religion status for Lingayats and also declining to support those fighting for it, Yeddyurappa has now found himself on a sticky wicket.

For, Yeddyurappa had, in fact, signed a letter that had pressed for the same demand way back in 1991. But now, Yeddyurappa is strongly voicing against such a move.

The demand for separate religion status for Lingayat was made by the Akhila Bharatiya Veerashaiva Mahasabha in 1991. The Mahasabha had submitted their proposal - signed by then legislator Yeddyurappa, KLE working president Prabhakar Kore and former minister Basavaraja Bommai - before the Central government.

Even in 2013 too, Yeddyurappa and other Lingayat community leaders had signed a Mahasabha letter seeking separate religion status for Lingayats and the letter was submitted to the then prime minister Manmohan Singh. The leaders had also demanded that a separate column be provided for Lingayats while conducting caste survey, reports Kannada Prabha. A copy of these letters are with Kannada Prabha.

In the letter submitted to Manmohan Singh was sent on July 25 and the earlier one was sent on July 31, 1991. 

But now, Yeddyurappa seems to be playing a different game. He strongly criticised community leaders for placing such a demand. He had stated that there was no difference between Veerashaivas and Lingayats and they were very much part of Hinduism. He had also stated that the community will stand united and there was no question of seeking separate religion status to it. He had even come down heavily on chief minister Siddaramaiah for making an attempt to divide the Lingayats.

Since the BJP is strongly advocating Hinduism, Yeddyurappa, a prominent leader of the Lingayat community seems to be finding it difficult to take the community's demand forward. With the Centre backing Hindutva and many Lingayat leaders demanding exclusion from Hinduism, it is to be seen what will be Yeddyurappa's stand.