Help name airport after seer: Amit Shah

Naming the Hubballi Airport after Siddharooda Swami and giving the BJP ticket to Paramarooda Swami to contest from Bilagi constituency in Bagalkot district in the Assembly elections were the demands placed before BJP president Amit Shah, when he visited the Siddharooda Mutt here on Thursday.

Before starting his second leg of campaigning in Mumbai-Karnataka region in the morning, Shah visited the Mutt, a popular spiritual centre.

Accompanied by state BJP president Yeddyurappa and other BJP leaders, Shah was welcomed by women with poorna kumbha. Shah performed pooja to the Gadduge of Siddharooda Swami and Gurunatharooda Swami.

In Dharwad, Shah visited the house of Jnanapith awardee Da Ra Bendre's house 'Sri Mata,' at Sadhanakeri. He was given a traditional welcome by the women folk, who performed aarti and applied tilak on his forehead.

He visited the Dr DaRa Bendre National Memorial Trust and was given a guided tour of the works of Bendre and the numerous awards he had received. Shah offered floral tributes to the portrait of Bendre and greeted his family members.

He felicitated Padmabai Pandurang Bendre, daughter-in-law of Bendre, who now resides in his house.

Later, the BJP president visited the century-old Murugha Mutt and offered prayers to the 'gadduge' of Mahant Swami and Shivayogi Swami.

He also sought the blessings of the Mutt pontiff Mallikarjun Swami. A group of people spearheading the Lingayat struggle submitted a memorandum to Shah, asking him to prevail upon the Centre to accord separate religious status to Lingayats. The BJP president assured them that he would do what he can.