Separate religion status for Lingayats, considered a political hot potato, has reared its head again as campaigning for the second phase of polling intensifies. 

A statement issued by BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa based on a letter that had also gone viral during Assembly polls 2018, accused Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of orchestrating the Lingayat movement "to divide and defame the society and people". 

Congress was quick to counter the claims saying that the letter was fake and legal action will be initiated against people who produced and published it.

BSY statement

"..publication of a letter written by Congress leader and minister M B Patil to then AICC chief Sonia Gandhi on Veerashaiva - Lingayat issue exposes the conspiracy hatched by Congress to prevent BJP (from) coming to power in Karnataka," the letter by Yeddyurappa read. 

BJP twitter handle tweeted the copy of the letter allegedly written by Patil, saying, "Congress exposed. The entire Lingayat & Veerashaiva community division was planted under direct instruction of Sonia Gandhi." 

Congress exposed

The entire Lingayat & Veerashaiva community division was planted under direct instruction of Sonia Gandhi

The letter written to Sonia Gandhi by Congress leader MB Patil exposes shocking details of how Sonia Gandhi wanted to divide Hindu communities in Karnataka pic.twitter.com/ZC6CpQf1fN

— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) April 16, 2019

Patil complaint

Soon after the letter published in a local daily was shared in social media, Patil filed a complaint at Adarsh Nagar police station in VIjayapura. "This letter is FAKE. I will be initiating legal action for forgery against those who produced and published it. BJP's desperation is evident. They are wholly relying on fake letters because they have lost the support of people," he tweeted. 

This letter is FAKE

I will be initiating legal action for forgery against those who produced and published it.

BJP's desperation is evident. They are wholly relying on fake letters because they have lost the support of people. pic.twitter.com/yrPRHGTVcW

— M B Patil (@MBPatil) April 16, 2019

KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao, attacked the BJP accusing it of deliberately publicising a fake letter. "The letter is not genuine and is a deliberate attempt to tarnish Congress' image right ahead of polls," he said.