Chitradurga Mutt seeks BJP support for minority status to Lingayats

Tumakuru: Seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru of Chitradurga Mutt on Wednesday wrote a letter to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah, requesting him to support the Karnataka government's decision of granting minority status to Lingayats community.

In the letter to Shah, Seer termed the ongoing movement in Karnataka between the followers of Lingayats and Veerashaiva Lingayats community as a 'temporary outbreak of emotions', which will not last long.

 He said granting special status to the community will unite the divided sub-castes of Lingayats.

"Minority status to this religion will deliver some benefits to youth of community --individually and collectively. It is not a step to divide community but a measure to unite divided sub-castes of Lingayats," the letter read.

The letter of the seer came a day after Shah accused the ruling Congress party in Karnataka of creating a rift between the Hindus.

Earlier on Tuesday, while addressing a public rally in Davanagere city ahead of the state assembly election, Shah said, "On one hand their party president (Rahul Gandhi) talks about uniting Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians, on the other hand, their chief minister (Siddaramaiah) is creating a divide between Hindus. Such a major internal conflict is not there in any other party."

The elections to the 224-seat assembly will be held on May 12, and the results will be declared on May 15.

While the Congress party is trying to retain power in Karnataka, the BJP is pulling all stops to regain the southern state into its fold.