Lingayat swamis oppose moves to oust Yeddyurappa

"The BJP's action in seeking the resignation of Yeddyurappa is nothing but an assault on Lingayat dharma," Jnanprabhu Siddarama Swami said, lending a caste colour to the ongoing power struggle in BJP.

"Yeddyurappa is BJP and BJP is Yeddyurappa. It is because of Yeddyurappa, the BJP government came to power," the hitherto unknown seer said.He also blamed what he called as "baseless allegations" by opposition parties for the current crisis.

The seer, who struggled to respond to the queries of reporters, demanded that Yeddyurappa be given a chance to make amends for his follies, if any, and stoutly defended the Chief Minister's acts of "nepotism".

"Who does not have love for his son?" he asked.The seer said that he was not a relative of Yeddyurappa and neither he had received money for his mutt.

Dayananda Swami and Jnana Prabhu Chikkarama Swami, who supported Siddarama, were the other seers at the press meet organised by the 'Akhila Karnataka Lingayat Mahasabha'.

Yeddyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community that is dominant in Northern Karnataka -- the part from where all the three seers come from.Meanwhile, Vishwesha Teertha Swami of Udupi-based Pejawara Mutt, cautioned the BJP central leadership against taking action against Yeddyurappa (sacking him) without the charges being proved.
Giving his "personal suggestion", the seer said action should not be taken merely on media reports and allegations.

"If action were to be taken merely based on allegations, nobody can work in politics."
The swami, however, added that if the BJP high command indeed came to the conclusion that Yeddyurappa was guilty, there is nothing wrong in taking action against him.
"I have regards for Yeddyurappa. I don't like action being taken against him without proof," he added.