Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Apr 8: A meeting of the heads of Lingayat Maths that was held here on Saturday April 7 announced that the people following Lingayat faith will vote for the party which supports their fight for the tag of separate religion for Lingayat. The religious leaders lavishly praised Siddaramaiah and indirectly hinted that they want Lingayat people to support Congress party.

This decision was taken at the meeting that was attended by Gadag Thontadarya Swamiji, Sharanaru of Murugha Math in Chitradurga, Pattada Devaru of Bhalki, Naganur Swamiji, and about 50 other religious heads.

Shivamurthy Swamiji of Muruga Math heaped praises on the state government and chief minister (CM), Siddaramaiah, for the total support extended to the demand for separate religious status for Lingayat. He said that heads of Lingayat Maths do not direct their followers to vote for any particular party, and that they have no hidden agenda. He stated that the opinion of the religious heads who assembled here was that religion should stay away from politics, but praised the CM for the work done by his government in support of Lingayat.

The Swamiji further stated that an effort to pressurize the central government to give its nod to the said demand would be made and that if possible, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will be personally met in an effort convince him to agree to the demand for separate religion tag for Lingayat.

He felt that the opinion expressed by national president of BJP, Amit Shah, about not according religious status to Lingayat is his personal as he does not represent the government. He said that further course of action would be decided once the union government comes out with its official stand on the issue.