Lingayats  

PM Narendra Modi whose forehead was smeared with the sacred ash when he was at the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumakuru, has quite expectedly drawn criticism from the pseudo-liberal gang. 

Issues relating to separate religion status for Lingayats and infighting in the state Congress led to the downfall of the party in the Lok Sabha and state elections, a report said. 

In a response to former CM Siddaramaiah’s statement on Lingayats, another senior Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa said he tried to split Hinduism and reasserted that Lingayats and Veerashaivas were two faces of the same coin

 

Former PM, JDS chief HD Deve Gowda expressed his disappointment over Lok Sabha election results, but said that he will continue to struggle, no matter what
 

Pratap Simha, the BJP MP from Mysuru lashed out at Karnataka home minister MB Patil for allegedly using police force to drive home vendetta politics. The criticism comes in the wake of senior journalist SA Hemanth Kumar being arrested over fake letter row related to the separate religion for Lingayats.

Mahesh Vikram Hegde, founder of Postcard News and a supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was arrested in Coorg, Karnataka, on April 24, based on a complaint filed by state home minister MB Patil in relation to a letter to Sonia Gandhi about a separate religion for Lingayats. However, BJP hit back saying why no arrests were made when Congress leaders Zameer Ahmed and Beluru Gopala Krishna issued statements against Modi in the most obnoxious manner.

BJP leader Yeddyurappa casts his vote in Shivamogga, Karnataka, for the Lok Sabha election. Second phase of polling in the state has commenced in the 14 constituencies.

With 16,40,634 votes to decide the fate of candidates in Hassan Lok Sabha in Karnataka,  it may not be easy for JD(S) candidate and HD Deve Gowda's grandson Prajwal Revanna as BJP has found a dark horse in  Arkalgudu

Manju. JD(S) candidate Prajwal Revanna may find it hard to convince a major chunk of voters including Lingayats, Kurubas and SC/STs to win the first election battle.

Lingayat leader Mate Mahadevi said that tonsuring heads of the 8000 students of the Mutt is a superstition and the belief of Vaidiks and not Lingayats. Siddaganga Mutt is a Lingayat Mutt and professes principles of social reformer Basavanna.

When Sriramulu was a BJP MP, he was seen wishing people of Ballari in Karnataka during Tipu Jayanti. He changed his stand subsequently. He took no clear position on the Lingayat issue. Besides MLA Sriramulu's ideological confusion, the party's Ballari candidate J Shantha might have lost the by-election also because some party leaders in other parts of Karnataka were equally listless.
 

Contradicting statements of Congress leaders regarding the Lingayats’ religious status will be leave the ruling party a weaker contestant at the Karnataka by-election.

Several Congress leaders brought up the issue of recommending Lingayats as a separate religion during Karnataka election in May. Congress leader DK Shivakumar regrets the move.