CM dividing community for poll gains, says HDK

JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday decried the raking up of the issue of separate Lingayat-Veerashaiva religion and the move to have a separate Karnataka state flag.

Speaking to reporters here, Kumaraswamy said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is dividing the society on faith and caste lines and also playing with emotional issues in an irresponsible manner.

“After creating confusion among the people about the usage of the terms Linagayat and Veerashaiva and their linkage to caste and religion,  he has furthered the issue to reap electoral gains by sending five ministers on a mission. He is trying to split the votes of the particular community, who have been largely supporting a particular party, by misleading them,” he said.

“Siddaramaiah is trying to divide the people of the particular community, by wooing a section of them on the grounds that they can get minority community status and get better benefits from the governments. If this trend continues, in future even Vokkaligas may claim to be a separate faith among the Hindus. Even Kurubas and other castes may follow suit in future. Neither me nor my party endorse the opinion of our party leader Basavaraj Horatti in this regard. It is his personal opinion,” he said.

DH News Service