Members of Veerashaiva Lingayat Swabhimani Balaga were thrashed by those from the Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha for opposing the state government's decision to accept the recommendations of the Justice Nagamohan Das committee to accord separate religion status to Lingayat here on Monday.
The members of both the associations were present at the Sardhar Vallabhai Patel circle to celebrate as well as to oppose the government's decision. While members of Veerashaiva Lingayat Swabhimani Balaga led by M S Patil Naribol was opposing the decision, members of Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha led by Ravindra Shahabadi were celebrating Vijayotsava.
When Naribol along with others members displayed footwear to oppose the government's decision, Shahabadi and other members of Mahasabha caught hold of Naribol and others and thrashed them in the middle of the road.
The police rescued Naribol who was also hit with sticks. Following the incident, situation turned tense for sometime. Kalaburagi SP N Shashikumar said four members of the Mahasabha were arrested for assualting Naribol.
Naribol told DH that they were opposed to the division of the religion and said that both Lingayat and Veerashaiva were one and the same.
He said they raised the footwear in protest against the government's decision and raised slogans against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah,
Minister M B Patil and others and not against the members of Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha.
However, Shahabadi said Naribol and others were showing footware at the members of the Mahasabha who included women.
He said they were staging a protest at Jagat Circle since March 10 demanding separate religioun tag. When government fulfilled their demand, they ended their protest by garlanding the statues of Ambedkar and Basaveshwara and embarked on a Vijayotsava to SVP Circle, where they distributed sweets. It was then, Naribol and others staged a protest and insulted Mahasabha members by showing slippers at them, Shahabadi added.
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