‘Any move to seek ‘religious minority’ status to Veerashaiva-Lingayats only after 2023 Assembly polls’

Bengaluru: Senior Congress legislator and former Minister M B Patil on Friday said that any move to seek “religious minority” status for the numerically strong Veerashaiva-Lingayats will be taken up only after the 2023 Assembly elections, with the “full consensus” of all stakeholders from the community.

The leader, who hails from the community, held a press conference here to clear the air, following his recent call to revive the demand for the ‘religious minority’ status, that is said to have created a flutter within the Congress.

“I have never used words such as fight, struggle or separatism. I have said that we will start discussions after the 2023 elections,” Patil said.

“Earlier, there was a wrong propaganda that Veerashaivas and Lingayats are not the same. Today, I’m saying we will go together and I don”t see what the problem is,” he said.

The Babaleshwar MLA, who was at the forefront of the agitation demanding the ”religious minority” tag for Veerashaiva-Lingayat community ahead of the 2018 assembly polls said he would work towards bringing all stakeholders – the Pancha Peethas (holy pantheon), the

Virakta Mutts, the Veerashaiva Mahasabha and the Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha- together on the issue to build a consensus.

“I will take two steps back and make an attempt. There are ideological differences….All of us will sit and discuss openly to figure out what is good for the community,” he said.

The then government headed by Siddaramaiah had decided to recommend to the Centre grant of religious minority status for the community, a move that had stoked a huge row just months ahead of 2018 Assembly polls in the State.

The demand for a religious minority tag to Veerashaiva/Lingayat faiths had surfaced from the politically influential community, amid resentment from within over projecting the two communities as the same.

The Lingayat/Veerashaiva community that owes allegiance to the “social reform movement” initiated by Basaveshwara in the 12th century, has a substantial population in Karnataka, especially in the northern parts of the state.

The issue was seen as one of the reasons for the Congress’ debacle in the 2018 assembly polls.

Conceding that there was confusion back then due to lack of time and as it happened close to the election which gave it a political colour, Patil said “this time, without any confusion and prestige, we will sit down, take as much time as it takes and decide how we need to move forward.”

He also argued that ‘religious minority’ status would benefit the community in education and jobs.

Amid views that he was trying to emerge as Lingayat leader in the Congress by raking up ”religious minority” status issues, Patil maintained that it had nothing to do with the party.