Lingayat faith an old one! karnataka cm rubbishes bjps divide & rule claim

Lingayat faith an old one!

Karnataka CM rubbishes BJP's divide & rule claim

Rubbishing the claims that the decision to grant a separate religious status to the Lingayat community was Congress’ political agenda, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday reiterated that the “Lingayat faith as a religion is an old one”. The clarification came after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in the Opposition camp in the state, accused the Congress of striving to garner the votes of Lingayats, a dominant community in the state, ahead of the Assembly elections likely in April-May. Here are the top 10 updates on the Lingayat community getting a separate religious status : 1. Congress rubbishes ‘vote bank politics’ claim: The Congress party said the Karnataka government had followed the due process before taking the decision.Referring to the Jain community, which was recognised as a religious minority a few years earlier, Randeep Singh Surjewala said Lingayats should also be accorded such a status.

2.Cabinet to give official notification next week: The state Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has decided to forward the Commission's recommendations to the central government for approval and notification under the National Commission for Minorities Act. 3. Don’t hunt with the hare, Congress tells BJP: Congress asked Amit Shah and B S Yeddyurappa to clarify whether they were in favour of the decision or against it.

"You need to clarify and come out clearly.

4. Congress carrying ‘divide and rule’ policy: Accusing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of "playing with fire for vote-bank politics", BJP had slammed the Karnataka government for its decision to recommend a separate religion status for Lingayats 5. Why is BJP miffed? Lingayats have traditionally supported the BJP as B S Yeddyurappa is known to be the community’s most popular political face.

6. What does separate religious status mean for Lingayats? On July 18, more than 50,000 Lingayats gathered at a rally in Bidar, asking to be recognised as followers of a religion distinct from Hinduism.

7. Why are Veerashaiva followers opposing the move? Clashes broke out between Lingayat followers and Veerashaiva followers in Kalaburagi. Lingayat followers had come to celebrate state Cabinet's approval to the recommendation for a separate religion status to be accorded to the Lingayat community and Veerashaiva followers had come to protest against the same.

8. The legation implications of the religious status grant: A seven-member Nagamohan Das committee headed by retired high court Judge H N Nagamohan Das submitted its report on March 2, 2018, stating that "Lingayats in Karnataka may be considered as a religious minority."

9. Yedyurappa claims the Lingayats and Veerashaivas are one: B S Yedyurappa, who came to power on the back of this vote bank in 2008, opposed the separation of these two communities.

10.Mohandas Pai calls Congress communal: IT veteran and tech investor T V Mohandas Pai condemned the Congress government's decision. He said, "A very communal decision by the ‘Secular’ Congress govt. A big shame, is this what Congress politics is all about? Breaking up the Hindu community because they are peaceful and quiet? This will consolidate Hindu votes against Congress."

ARTICLE SOURCE- BUSINESS STANDARD.