Bengaluru. Senior Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar continues to aspire for the chief minister’s post, but his turn has yet to come. Even before the internal tussle within the Congress could settle, a fresh controversy has erupted after a state minister claimed that Lingayats constitute a community separate from Hindus. This has naturally sparked political turmoil in the state.
Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre, who is part of the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, recently spoke on behalf of the Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha. He asserted that members of the community should select the “Other” category under the religion column and identify themselves specifically as Veerashaiva-Lingayat. Last week, he had further stated that individuals must mention “Lingayat” or “Veerashaiva” in the caste column and specify their sub-caste in the third column.
