According to the Nagamohan Das committee, Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats are those who believed in the philosphy of Basaveshwara, 12th century social reformer.
In a significant move ahead of Assembly elections in Karnataka, Siddaramiah-led Congress government on Friday declared minority status to Lingayat community.
Earlier on Monday, the Karnataka government decided to recommend to the Centre to grant religious minority tag to the numerically strong and politically-influential Lingayat and Veerashaiva Lingayat community.
Law Minister T B Jayachandra said the cabinet had accepted the recommendations of an expert panel set up by the state government on the issue.
The move comes just a couple of months before the state assembly elections and is likely to stir massive political controversy.
The recommendation was made by the Nagamohan Das committee. According to the Nagamohan Das committee, Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats are those who believed in the philosphy of Basaveshwara, 12th century social reformer.
Earlier, the seers, led by Gadag-based Tontadarya Mutt's Siddalinga Swami, had met Siddaramaiah and urged him to implement the report of an official committee that recommended conferring a separate religious and minority status to their community.
"Our fight is not new, it has been a 900-year-old fight and it has taken a shape now, the Tontadarya math swami had told reporters.
The demand for a separate religion tag to Veerashaiva/ Lingayat faiths had surfaced from the numerically strong and politically-influential community, amidst resentment from within over projecting the two communities as the same.
While one section led by Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha had demanded separate religion status, asserting that Veerashaiva and Lingayats are the same, the other wants it only for Lingayats as it believes that Veerashaivasare one among the seven sects of Shaivas, which is part of Hinduism.
The BJP and several sections of the Hindu community have maintained a cautious stance, keeping away from the move to give Veerashaiva/Lingayat separate religion status.They have accused the Siddaramaiah government of dividing society to draw political mileage ahead of the assembly elections. Lingayat strongman and state BJP chief BS Yeddyurappa has been saying that his party would not allow efforts to "divide" the community.
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 "Ahead of polls, Siddaramiah govt declare minority status to Lingayat community")
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