Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sought to defuse a brewing controversy on Monday, stating he holds “no stand” on the Lingayat community’s demand for recognition as a separate religion, even as the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Congress government of sowing division within Hindu society. The remarks, made in Koppal, come in the wake of the ‘Basava Culture Campaign-2025’ organized by the Lingayat Matadeeshara Okkoota, which adopted resolutions advocating for religious recognition distinct from Hinduism during its valedictory event attended by key Congress leaders.
“I have no stand. The stand of the people is my stand,” Siddaramaiah told reporters, addressing queries about the Lingayat community’s push for separate status in the ongoing caste census. “Some Virakta math swamijis are demanding it, and the issue has always been there,” he added, signaling a cautious approach to a politically sensitive matter that cost Congress dearly in the 2018 Assembly elections. The CM’s neutral stance aims to avoid reigniting tensions within the influential Lingayat and Veerashaiva communities, which together form a significant electoral bloc in northern Karnataka.
The issue flared up after Sunday’s event, where resolutions emphasized raising awareness for Lingayat religious recognition, rooted in the 12th-century social reform movement of Basaveshwara. Notably, representatives of the Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha were excluded, highlighting a rift between factions. Minister M B Patil, a prominent Lingayat leader, endorsed the cause, stating, “Geographically, we are all Hindus, but Lingayats are a religion like Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs.” He defended the event’s exclusivity, noting that only those fully aligned with Basavanna’s philosophy were invited, though he acknowledged Veerashaivas’ partial support for the separate religion push.
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In contrast, Minister Eshwar Khandre, affiliated with the Veerashaiva Mahasabha, insisted that “Lingayats and Veerashaivas are the same,” citing historical consensus from community stalwarts like the late Shivakumara Swami. The Mahasabha continues to advocate for a unified Veerashaiva-Lingayat religious status, akin to that granted to Sikhs and Jains, while rejecting attempts to project the groups as distinct.
BJP state president B Y Vijayendra seized the moment to accuse Congress of orchestrating a deliberate plot to fracture Hindu unity. “Some forces are trying to divide society and the Hindu religion,” he charged, without naming Siddaramaiah directly. “We must protect our religion and unify communities for justice. Such attempts failed before and will fail again.” The BJP’s rhetoric underscores the high stakes, with Lingayat-dominated constituencies pivotal in upcoming 2026 local elections.
The controversy echoes the 2018 electoral debacle for Congress, when Siddaramaiah’s government recommended minority status for Lingayats, alienating Veerashaiva factions and leading to losses in key seats. The current debate reveals a persistent divide: one faction, led by the Mahasabha, views Veerashaiva and Lingayat as synonymous, while another insists Lingayats are distinct, rejecting Shaiva sectarian ties to Hinduism. As the caste census progresses, Siddaramaiah’s noncommittal stance aims to navigate these fault lines, but the exclusion of Veerashaiva leaders from the recent event has reignited accusations of political manipulation.
With Karnataka’s political landscape heating up, the Lingayat religion issue remains a tinderbox. Congress faces the delicate task of balancing community aspirations with electoral pragmatism, while the BJP leverages the row to rally its base. As both sides brace for further debate, Siddaramaiah’s reticence may either defuse tensions or invite fresh accusations of indecision in a state where cultural identity and politics remain deeply intertwined.
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