Rambhapuri Mutt seer Prasanna Renuka Veerasomeshwar Shivacharya Swami on Monday warned of waging a religious war if the Congress government recommended granting of minority religion status to Lingayats.
Speaking to reporters he said: "We've clarified our stand that Veerashaiva and Lingayat are one and the same. Members of the expert panel, headed by retired high court judge H N Nagamohan Das, have identified with Lingayat faith. About 95 % of the people have rejected the proposal to accord the status of independent religion to Lingayat faith."
"There is a greater responsibility on the shoulder of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The Congress party will surely suffer in the forthcoming Assembly elections if it accepts the recommendations of the expert panel. Siddaramaiah shouldn't yield to the pressure of a handful of pontiffs," he said.
"Our fight is not against any individual, but against those who are opposed to the religion," he said.
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