Even as BJP president Amit Shah accused Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of dividing Hindus over the Lingayat issue, Mate Mahadevi, the first female seer from the community, heaped praise on the Congress leader, saying he has given “a big gift to us”.
“It is due to Siddaramaiah that we are getting recognition. I do not have words to express our feelings. People say that the chief minister is using Lingayats for elections but we made the demands 10 months back, then there was no election," she said.
Karnataka cabinet had recently approved the Lingayat community's demand for a separate religion status.
“The chief minister had promised us that an expert committee will look into the issue. The committee later gave an authentic report,” she said.
Mahadevi launched a scathing attack on Shah, accusing him of lying and misleading people. “Amit Shah said the (Union) government had not received the recommendation file yet. But the minority affairs minister said that he had received it. Shah is lying and misleading people," she said.
She also fired salvos at RSS, saying the Sangh has misguided people that the Lingayats take money from anti-social elements.
“They say we are breaking India and Hinduism. We are still part of Hinduism but our religion is Lingayat. We are not anti-Hindu,” she said.
Mahadevi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to gift them the separate religion status on April 18—Basava Jayanti.