JOIN USThe Lingayat religion issue led to skirmish between the BJP and the Congress in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, with Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar even seeking a special debate on the matter.
It began when the BJP MLA from Sedam Rajkumar Patil referred to 12th century social reformer Basavanna during his speech on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address to the joint session of legislature.
Someone loudly remarked that the Congress attempted to break the Lingayat faith, which irked Shivakumar, a prominent Vokkaliga leader.
“You should know that all three parties - the Congress, the BJP and the JD(S) - had signed a petition. Will you now say that was also an attempt to break society,” he said, referring to the 2013 petition by the Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Mahasabha to the Centre seeking separate religion status for the Lingayat faith.
Taking exception, BJP’s Muddebihal legislator A S Patil (Nadahalli) sought to correct Shivakumar that the JD(S) had not signed that petition.
“It was your Congress government that tried to break society. You paid the price for that in the election. Just because Lingayats are quiet, you can’t say whatever you want,” he said. Patil was joined by fellow BJP members Basanagouda Patil Yatnal (Bijapur City) and M P Renukacharya (Honnali).
Shivakumar found support in Food and Civil Supplies Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, who retorted that it was the BJP that indulged in dividing society.
Shivakumar went on to demand a special debate to discuss which party was more divisive.
“Whatever happened to our party in the election is in the past now. We saw what your party also faced in the election. But it was the BJP that laid the foundation for dividing society. Let’s have a debate on what your party does at every step,” Shivakumar said.