‘Fight for faith tag to continue’

The Jagathika Lingayat Mahasabha on Saturday slammed Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar for his statement that the move by the previous government on the ‘religious minority’ status for Lingayat faith was “a big blunder.”

Mahasabha leader S M Jaamdar said the fight to get the Lingayat faith recognised as a religion would continue, notwithstanding the controversy surrounding Shivakumar’s statement. "I don't know why the minister made that statement. He attended several meetings, but never opposed it then," Jaamdar said.

Panchamasali Peetha seer Basava Jaya Mrutyunjaya Swami deplored Shivakumar’s statement. “It’s not clear what he really meant and it’s possible that someone may have coaxed him into saying so, which is wrong,” the seer said.