Lingayat religion row: Siddaramaiah repents effort to divide community, says seer

Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah says, “I explained to the seer in detail what all we did on the issue. I never intended to divide the Lingayat community”

Rambhapuri mutt seer Veerasomeshwara Shivacharya swamy has said that former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah repents his government’s attempt to provide separate religion status for Lingayats.

The seer spoke to the media after Siddaramaiah took his blessings on August 19. There was an allegation against Siddaramaiah that he attempted to ‘divide Lingayats’ from Veerashaiva religion. “Today, he expressed his grief with an open mind,” the seer said in Balehonnur.

“Siddaramaiah told me he did not make an attempt to divide the community, but some people misled him, and he repents that. He assured me that he will not get into the issue of religion, but concentrate on development of the State henceforth,” the seer said.

Later speaking to mediapesons in Hassan, Siddaramaiah said he did not ‘repent’, but explained the turn of events to the seer in detail. “I explained what all we did while taking such a decision. There had been a malicious propaganda on this issue. I told him it all began with a petition from Shamanur Shivashankarappa and the Veerashaiva Mahasabha seeking a separate religious status for Veerashaivas. I never intended to divide the community,” Mr. Siddaramaiah said.