Congress playing with fire, says BJP as Karnataka recognises Lingayat as separate religion

New Delhi: The BJP appears to be in a fix and has slammed the Karnataka government for its decision to recommend separate religion status for the state's powerful and electorally crucial Lingayats in the Congress-ruled state.

BJP - the main opposition party in Karnataka - has accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of "playing with fire for vote bankpolitics".

BJP general secretary in-charge of Karnataka P Muralidhar Rao has accused the state's ruling Congress of practicing a "divide and rule" policy.

"Congress carrying 'Divide and Rule' legacy of Britishers in India. Siddaramaiah is playing with fire for vote bank politics. Why has Congress done this before elections? Why haven't they done it four years back?" he said in a tweet.

Whatever one says but the Karnataka cabinet's decision has clearly put the main opposition party BJP in a Catch-22 situation since Lingayats are the party's backbone in the state and it's CM candidate BS Yeddyurappa is also a Lingayat.

The Karnataka government's decision is also being viewed by the saffron party as an attempt by the Congress to divide Lingayat voters, who strongly backed him have in the past polls.

Meanwhile, the Congress has dared BJP chief Amit Shah and BSY to clarify their position on the Lingayats, arguing that the Karnataka cabinet's decision of granting the status of a religious minority to the sect should not be seen as a "political move".

"It is inappropriate to link the decision of Karnataka Government vis-a-vis declaration of Lingayat Samaj as a minority community to the political processes," Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.

He noted that the Jain Community had for years had made a similar demand, and the then UPA government had got the demand of the community examined, following due process. 

"Many people objected and said Jain Samaj is part of Aggarwal Samaj and that is why should not be separately branded as such or included in the minority community.

"After examination of all the evidence available and the historical facts, the then UPA government came to a conclusion that Jain community has to be part of the minority community," he added.

He said when Lingayat Samaj raised the similar demand, the Karnataka government followed due process. 

"It got the entire evidence, facts and claims examined. Counter-claims were also received and they too were examined. 

"The government in its wisdom in adherence to the demand of the community and based on the facts has decided to include the Lingayat Samaj as part of the minority community so that the benefits that extend to the minority community can also be extended to them," he added.

Surjewala asked Amit Shah and Yeddyurappa to clarify if they supported or opposed the decision.

In a bid to woo the Lingayats, a dominant community in the state, ahead of the assembly elections, the Karnataka cabinet on Monday decided to grant them the status of a separate religion.

Massive clashes broke out in Kalaburagi between members of Lingayat and Veerashaiva followers after the state cabinet's approval for the recommendation of separate religion for Lingayat community on Monday.

The clashes broke out when members of Lingayat came out to celebrate cabinet's decision to approve the recommendation of a separate religion.

Members of Veerashaiva community - who had assembled to protest against the decision - came face-to-face and sloganeering led to flared tempers. Soon, scuffle and manhandling broke out as members of both communities clashed against each other.

The Lingayats are nearly16% of the population in Karnataka and are influential in almost 100 of the 224 Assembly seats in the state. 

(With Agency inputs)